Small Sat Calibration

Payloads used to make science measurements need calibration to characterize the instrument and ensure that mission objectives are met. When electro-optic instruments are developed for use on small satellite platforms, budgets and schedules are often restricted. There is a need to provide some calibration and still remain within budget. The goal of this project was to develop a calibration method to meet this challenge for small satellites. The effort includes spatial, spectral, and radiometric testing and characterization of small satellite payloads. Using a combination of sources, visible wavelength small satellite payloads can be calibrated cheaply and quickly. The calibration parameters include best focus over the field of view (FOV), point response function (PRF), non-uniformity correction (NUC), relative spectral response (RSR), irradiance uniformity, peak radiative response (PRR), and distortion. The test hardware, data collection, and data analysis were designed to be set up and used quickly and easily to reduce time required for data collection and analysis. This presentation describes the process that SDL developed, shows initial results, and discusses uncertainty estimates for an example unit under test