MIPT and NPO Lepton: Hyperspectrometer for surveying the earth's surface

2024: Sending to Orbit

The hyper-spectrometer created at MIPT for monitoring disasters went into orbit. This was announced on May 30, 2024 by representatives of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

As reported, a hyper-spectrometer for shooting the earth's surface was developed by employees of the Fiztech School of Aerospace Technologies of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and JSC NPO Lepton as part of the implementation of the space experiment "Hurricane" (directed by RSC Energia). Its main task is to develop scientific equipment and technologies for studying the Earth's surface from the ISS. The launch of the Soyuz rocket with the Progress MS-27 transport cargo spacecraft took place on May 30 at 12:43 Moscow time.

The hyperspectral complex is designed for observing the Earth from space and detailed shooting of ground objects in the visible and infrared ranges of the spectrum. The device consists of three main parts: a hardware module, a special bracket for installation on the porthole No.9 of the Russian segment of the ISS, as well as software for device control and data processing. The equipment will be used to solve problems of ecology, agriculture, forestry and water management, as well as monitoring emergency situations.

source = MIPT

{{quote 'author
= clarified Alexander Kuzmichev, a leading researcher at the Fiztech School of Aerospace Technologies of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, project manager' One of the areas in which hyperspectral can be used information is the assessment of moisture content in agricultural areas. For understanding: if the humidity index falls below a certain norm (for each agricultural culture it is its own), then there is a threat to the harvest. In large areas, with enough operational monitoring grouping, it will be possible to calculate such dry zones quickly and immediately start solving the problem. Other possible areas of work are illegal deforestation, as well as an estimate of the area of ​ ​ an oil spill on the surface of the water.}}

source = MIPT

The hyperspectrometer is capable of capturing objects of the underlying surface in a wide spectral range from 0.4 to 1.6 microns, in 180 channels with a width of units to tens of nanometers. Due to the number of channels and the length of the survey route up to 500 km (with a linear resolution of at least 45 meters), the equipment is able to monitor coastal zones, agricultural, forest territories, as well as zones of man-made pollution. MIPT engineers provide for the possibility of implementing online processing of the resulting image directly on board the ISS.

For the space experiment "Hurricane," a list of scientific equipment was formed that could be used to perform its tasks. As part of this work, PJSC SRC Energia, MIPT and our base company NPO Lepton JSC prepared and supported at the Scientific and Technical Council of Roscosmos the terms of reference for the development work on the manufacture of the complex. During the product development, from 2017 to 2020, we designed and manufactured the device, and at the end we carried out ground experimental testing at the complex test bench of SRC Energia PJSC. Also, in 2023, we conducted astronaut training - it is they who will control the equipment in orbit. They will be given a flight mission, which will indicate the ranges and angles for setting up the device on Earth, which the astronaut will simply set in the program. told Andrey Grigoriev, Head of the Department of Systems, Devices and Methods of Geocosmic Physics, Fiztech School of Aerospace Technologies, MIPT

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolay Chub and Nikolai Gorbunov passed the MIPT special course for work at the hyperspectral complex. The first switching on of the equipment is planned to be carried out at the end of June 2024.

Over the next year, the developers plan to collect an array of spectral data on targets and background conditions, which will be used in the design of a grouping of automatic spacecraft equipped with hyperspectrometers to monitor the underlying surface of the Earth.