A Prototype Airborne Visible Imaging Spectrometer (PAVIS)

A small, low mass and low power imaging spectrometer for airborne remote sensing of atmospheric and surface properties called the prototype airborne visible imaging spectrometer (PAVIS) has been designed, constructed, and field-tested by the airborne sensors initiative team at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Originally a breadboard spectrometer, PAVIS was developed to validate in the laboratory that a large concave grating on a moderately aspheric surface with minimal scattering could be fabricated, and that both spectral and spatial performance could be optimized simultaneously. The airborne sensor is being developed to demonstrate that useful scientific data approaching the quality of AVIRIS and the MODIS airborne simulator whiskbroom scanning spectrometers can be obtained with a compact pushbroom imaging spectrometer.