Verification and calibration of the DESIS detector

Abstract

This paper focuses on the calibration and verification of the DESIS (DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer) detector for the VIS/NIR (VNIR) spectral range. DESIS is a hyperspectral Instrument for the international space station, developed from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and operate by Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE). TBE provides the MUSES platform, on which the DESIS instrument will be mounted. The primary goal of DESIS is to measure and analyse quantitative diagnostic parameters describing key processes on the Earth surface. The main components of the sensor, the detector and the focal plane, were examined and verified. This allows predictions about the future data quality. The verification and validation of components and the entire system is an important and challenging task. The verification of the detectors is necessary to describe the characteristics of the detector according to predetermined specifications. The quantities to be examined are e.g. the quantum efficiency, the linearity of the detector, the pixel response non-uniformity (PRNU) and the dark current noise. For this purpose, specially calibrated integrated spheres are used that allow traceability of the measured data. With these information, the future performance of the sensor can be estimated using simulations.