Spectral imager based on Fabry-Perot interferometer for Aalto-1 nanosatellite

The Aalto-1 is a 3U-cubesat project coordinated by Aalto University. The satellite, Aalto-1, will be mainly built by students as project assignments and thesis works. The Aalto-1 is planned to launch on 2014. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is developing the main Earth observation payload, a miniaturized spectral imager unit, for the satellite. The spectral imager unit contains a spectral imager, a visible RGB-camera and control electronics of the cameras. Detailed design of the spectral imager unit has been completed and assembly of the spectral imager unit will be done in the autumn 2013. The spectral imager is based on a tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) accompanied by an RGB CMOS image sensor. The FPI consists of two highly reflective surfaces separated by a tunable air gap and it is based on a piezo-actuated structure. The piezo-actuated FPI uses three piezo-actuators and is controlled in a closed capacitive feedback loop. The spectral resolution of the imager will be 8-15 nm at full width at half maximum and it will operate in the wavelength range 500-900 nm. Imaging resolution of the spectral imager is 1024x1024 pixels and the focal length of the optics is 32 mm and F-number is 3.4. Mass of the spectral imager unit is approximately 600 grams, and dimensions are 97 mm x 97 mm x 48 mm.