Characterization of a Hyperspectral Chromotomographic Imaging Ground System

A field-deployable hyperspectral chromotomographic imager has been developed and tested as a risk-reduction prototype to assist design of a space-based system. The instrument uses a high-speed video camera looking through a rotating direct-vision prism to simultaneously observe the full field of view in all visible wavelength channels. The chromotomographic process multiplexes the spectral and spatial so an advanced reconstruction algorithm is required to separate the spectral channels. A physics-based model of the instrument was developed to assist in future trade-space choices for design of the spaced-based system. Additionally, the model is used for the development and assessment of the filtered backprojection reconstruction algorithm. Laboratory experiments from the field-deployable instrument were collected, and the results are compared to physics-based model predictions. Results from the simulated and experimental data show that the instrument and algorithm are capable of detecting spectral and spatial information of complex scene