SSUSI-lite: next generation far-ultraviolet sensor for characterizing geospace

Larry J. Paxton; John E. Hicks; Matthew P. Grey; Charles W. Parker; Ramsay S. Hourani; Kathryn M. Marcotte; Uno P. Carlsson; Samuel Kerem; Steven N. Osterman; Bryan J. Maas; Bernard S. Ogorzalek

doi:10.1117/12.2241840

21 October 2016 SSUSI-lite: next generation far-ultraviolet sensor for characterizing geospace

Larry J. Paxton, John E. Hicks, Matthew P. Grey, Charles W. Parker, Ramsay S. Hourani, Kathryn M. Marcotte, Uno P. Carlsson, Samuel Kerem, Steven N. Osterman, Bryan J. Maas, Bernard S. Ogorzalek

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9987, Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications XIII; 998708 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2241840
Event: SPIE Security + Defence, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

SSUSI-Lite is an update of an existing sensor, SSUSI. The current generation of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites (Block 5D3) includes a hyperspectral, cross-tracking imaging spectrograph known as the Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager (SSUSI). SSUSI has been part of the DMSP program since 1990. SSUSI is designed to provide space weather information such as: auroral imagery, ionospheric electron density profiles, and neutral density composition changes. The sensors that are flying today (see http://ssusi.jhuapl.edu) were designed in 1990 - 1992. There have been some significant improvements in flight hardware since then. The SSUSI-Lite instrument is more capable than SSUSI yet consumes ½ the power and is ½ the mass. The total package count (and as a consequence, integration cost and difficulty) was reduced from 7 to 2. The scan mechanism was redesigned and tested and is a factor of 10 better. SSUSI-Lite can be flown as a hosted payload or a rideshare – it only needs about 10 watts and weighs under 10 kg. We will show results from tests of an interesting intensified position sensitive anode pulse counting detector system. We use this approach because the SSUSI sensor operates in the far ultraviolet – from about 110 to 180 nm or 0.11 to 0.18 microns.

Conference Presentation

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Larry J. Paxton, John E. Hicks, Matthew P. Grey, Charles W. Parker, Ramsay S. Hourani, Kathryn M. Marcotte, Uno P. Carlsson, Samuel Kerem, Steven N. Osterman, Bryan J. Maas, and Bernard S. Ogorzalek "SSUSI-lite: next generation far-ultraviolet sensor for characterizing geospace", Proc. SPIE 9987, Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications XIII, 998708 (21 October 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2241840

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