The Radiance Standard RASTA of DLR's calibration facility for airborne imaging spectrometers

Abstract

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) operates the Calibation Home Base (CHB) as a facility for the calibration of airborne imaging spectrometers and for field spectrometers. Until recently, absolute radiometric calibration was based on an integrating sphere that is traceable to SI units through calibration at the German Metrology Institute PTB. However, the stability of the radiance output was not monitored regularly and reliably. This was the motivation to develop a new radiance standard (RASTA) which allows monitoring in the wavelength range from 380 to 2500 nm. Radiance source is a diffuse reflector illuminated by a tungsten halogen lamp. Five radiometers mounted in a special geometry are used for monitoring. This setup improves twofold the uncertainty assessment compared to the previously used integrating sphere. Firstly, lamp irradiance and panel reflectance have been calibrated at PTB additionally to the radiance of the complete system. This calibration redundancy allows to detect systematic errors and to reduce calibration uncertainty. Secondly, the five radiometers form a redundant control system to measure changes of the spectral radiance. This enables long-time monitoring of the radiance source including assessment of the uncertainty caused by aging processes. Further advantages concern the reduction of periods of non-availability, applicability to sensors with larger field of view, and the possibility to alter intensity and spectral shape in a well-known way by exchanging the reflector. RASTA has been calibrated at PTB in November 2011 in the wavelength range from 350 to 2500 nm