Calibration Facility for Airborne Imaging Spectrometers

Abstract

ESA currently builds the airborne hyper-spectral push broom imaging spectrometer APEX (Airborne Prism EXperiment) operating in the spectral range from 380 to 2500 nm. The APEX instrument will only achieve its challenging measurement accuracy by regular calibration of the instrument between flight cycles. In view of the high relevance to scientific objectives, ESA is funding an "Calibration Home Base" (CHB) for APEX. It is located at DLR Oberpfaffenhofen and will be operational from 2006 on. The CHB provides all hard- and software tools required for radiometric, spectral and geometric on-ground characterisation and calibration of the instrument and its internal references and on-board attachments, and to perform measurements on polarisation- and straylight-sensitivity. This includes a test bed and the provision of the infrastructure.