TacSat-3 Earth Observing Satellite Puts Hyperspectral Imagery Analysis in Space

摘要

A telescope, an imaging spectrometer and a computer orbiting 420 kilometers above the Earth may soon enable the U.S. military to spot vehicles hidden under foliage, detect recently buried roadside bombs and find enemy troops despite camouflage.rnThe three instruments are housed in a satellite called TacSat-3 that was launched May 19 from Virginia's Wallops Island aboard a Minotaur rocket. If they work as planned, the U.S. Air Force hopes to launch a constellation of such satellites to provide the U.S. Army and Marine Corps with on-demand hyperspectral reconnaissance from space.