Imaging Spectrometers For Terrestrial And Planetary Remote Sensing: A Progress Report

Since the first SPIE conference session on imaging spectroscopy in February 1981, the development of several significant instruments and the initiation of yet larger programs has taken place. The Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer for the Galileo mission to Jupiter has been completed and awaits a launch opportunity. An advanced version of this instrument has been selected for the Mars Observer mission and is a candidate for several additional planetary missions. An Airborne Imaging Spectrometer has completed several seasons of data collecting in the United States, Australia, and Europe. An advanced instrument for NASA's U-2/ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft is nearing completion. Significant design work has been accomplished on the Shuttle Imaging Spectrometer Experiment and design studies for NASA's Earth Observation System include a major imaging spectrometer instrument. Researchers in a variety of disciplines have reported significant results from aircraft instrument data and the development of sophisticated data analysis software for manipulating and interpreting the high dimensionality data sets is progressing. Progress in this growing technique of passive remote sensing is contributing to the planning and design of future instrumentation.