The Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker (C-FIRST) is an Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) project to demonstrate novel technology through the maturation of a mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) imager. C-FIRST leverages digital focal plane array (DFPA) development from the Advanced Component Technology (ACT) Program.
The DFPA is hybridized from a state-of-the-art high operating temperature barrier infrared detector (HOT-BIRD) and a digital readout integrated circuit (D-ROIC), which features an in-pixel digital counter to prevent current saturation, and thereby provides very high dynamic range (>100 dB). The DFPA will thus enable unsaturated, high-resolution imaging and quantitative retrievals of targets with a large variation in temperatures, ranging from 300 K (background) to >1600 K (hot flaming fires).
With the resolution to resolve 50 m-scale thermal features on the Earth’s surface from a nominal orbital altitude of 400 km, the full temperature and area distribution of fires and active volcanic eruptions and the cool background are captured in a single observation, increasing science content per returned byte.
The preliminary integration of the C-FIRST optics chamber and the optical components has been completed. The full C-FIRST instrument integration will be completed at the end of 2024 in preparation for an airborne field test.
Instrument specifics
- Status: IN DEVELOPMENT
- Type: Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) imager
Platform(s)
- B200 King Air
Campaigns flown
- Engineering tests
Contact
