Title: Technology advancements in the CubeSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder (CIRAS)
Presenting Author: Thomas Pagano
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Abstract:
The CubeSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder (CIRAS) will measure upwelling infrared radiation of the Earth in the MWIR region of the spectrum (4.08-5.13µm) with a spatial resolution of 13.5 km (3km in zoom mode) from space on a CubeSat. The observed radiances can be assimilated into weather forecast models and be used to retrieve lower tropospheric temperature and water vapor for climate studies. Multiple units can be flown to improve temporal coverage or in formation to provide new data products including 3D motion vector winds. The CIRAS is currently under development at NASA JPL under the NASA In-space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST) and scheduled for launch in 2019. CIRAS incorporates three new instrument technologies. The first is a 2D array of High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD) material, selected for its high uniformity, low cost, low noise and higher operating temperatures than traditional materials. The detectors are hybridized to a commercial ROIC and commercial camera electronics. The second technology is an MWIR Grating Spectrometer (MGS) designed to provide imaging spectroscopy for atmospheric sounding in a CubeSat volume. The MGS will be built at Ball Aerospace, has no moving parts, and is based on heritage spectrometers developed under the NASA Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) including the SIRAS-G. The third technology is an infrared blackbody developed using Black Silicon developed at JPL. Black silicon has a very high emissivity (<0.2%) over a broad spectral range including the CIRAS band. JPL will develop the mechanical, electronic and thermal subsystems for CIRAS. The spacecraft will be developed by Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT). The integrated system will be a complete 6U CubeSat capable of measuring temperature and water vapor profiles with good lower tropospheric sensitivity. This paper will present the technologies used in CIRAS and the current status of the development.