REDESIGNING THE PORTABLE RSS SPECTROMETER

Passive spectral measurements play a major role in modern remote sensing of the Earth from space. The first spectral observations of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere have been performed by the crews of Soviet spaceships, starting from the «Soyuz-5», and also of «Salyut-3» and «Salyut-4» orbital stations. The handheld satellite spectrometer RSS in its several consecutive modifications has been a valuable instrument for the fulfillment of these experiments. Later, using its design as a basis, a field photoelectric spectrometer was created, in which the photographic film (used in the original RSS design for a light-sensing element) was superseded by a photodiode array, and a microcontroller now controlled the device. The spectrometer’s good optical design and the capabilities of microcontrollers, rapidly evolving over recent years, led the authors to the concept of RSS’s modernization. The paper describes the design of a spectrometer obtained from such modernization, along with its main specifications. Some review papers on modern tendencies in space remote sensing, and a brief historical reference on the first spectral measurements from space are provided. Design features of the RSS spectrometer and its later modifications are described.

Authors: V. S. Goryainov, A. A. Buznikov, E. V. Kostikov

Direction: Physics

Keywords: Remote sensing of the Earth, spectrometry of natural objects, portable spectrometer, spectrometer control system, Arduino-compatible microcontrollers

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