FluxData Multispectral Camera Heading to Space Station

A multispectral imager built by FluxData Inc. was launched into space aboard the Japanese HTV-2 mission on Jan. 22, 2011.

Headed to the International Space Station (ISS), the imager will be installed in the Window Observation Research Facility by the crew onboard the ISS. The imager is a component of the International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC), which was developed by students and faculty from the University of North Dakota (UND) in support of their Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium research efforts.

ISSAC will take frequent multispectral images of vegetated areas on the Earth, specifically focusing on the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions of the US. In addition, it will provide end-users the ability to select specific geographical areas of interest and request the collection of imagery that will be downlinked, processed and delivered within one to two days.

The data and information provided by ISSAC will be used for a range of activities including: nitrogen application maps to improve fertilizer use, agriculture management zone decision support systems to improve nutrient and invasive species management, and rangeland management tools to improve livestock allocation and evaluation.

Additionally, the rapid responsiveness of ISSAC imagery may also aid in disaster management, flood monitoring and wildland fire mapping.

The sensor assembly is based on the company’s FD-1665 3CCD multispectral camera technology. Its green, red and near-infrared spectral response bands were selected to emulate those of the Landsat 7 satellite and provide the same benefits for vegetation and moisture discrimination, monitoring and identification.

FluxData manufactures multispectral and polarimetric imaging systems for aerospace, defense, surveillance, industrial, medical and scientific markets.

For more information, visit: www.fluxdata.com