A wealth of diagnostic information can be found in the near infrared (NIR) spectral region between 1 to 5 mm, including strong mineral, volatiles (ice) and organic absorption features. Past missions have flown spectrometers that operate in this region; however they are designed around 2D array detectors that require significant thermal control making these instruments large, power demanding with complicated thermal integration requirements, and expensive. Alternatively a single element sensor instrument would require much less power, have much simpler thermal control, and be much less expensive. Digital mMirror Devices (DMDs) are likely best known for use in Digital Light Processing (DLPs) and recently DMDs have found application in space-born astronomical instrumentations. DMDs, used as optical switches, provide a powerful solution allowing design of a new generation of instruments with unprecedented capabilities. We propose to evaluate an existing commercial DLP spectrometer for flight and to demonstrate its operation with a detector that can allow for observations between approximately 1 and 5 mm.
More »Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
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Ames Research Center (ARC) | Lead Organization | NASA Center | Moffett Field, California |