Payload 04 Information
Payload Flight Number:
Institution:
Payload Title:
Small Mounted Optical Lens Dual-camera Experimental Remote-sensor (S.M.O.L.D.E.R.)
Student Leader:
Faculty Advisor:
Payload class:
SMALL
Payload ID Number:
04
Mass:
Current:
Serial Downlink:
Analog Downlink:
Serial Commands:
Discrete Commands:
Payload Specification & Integration Plan
Due:
Delivered:
Payload Integration Certification
Scheduled:
Actual:
Flight Operation Plan
Due:
Delivered:
Final Flight / Science Report
Due:
Delivered:
Abstract:
As wildfires exacerbated by climate change continue to devastate the western United States, assessment of fire susceptibility becomes increasingly vital. S.M.O.L.D.E.R. proposes a payload system that aims to answer the following questions: (1) Can vegetation indices be used as a proxy for determining desert drought conditions? (2) How well do vegetation indices correlate to rainfall? This payload will capture reflectance spectroscopy imagery in the red and near-infrared range. These spectra will be used to calculate vegetation indices NDVI and MSAVI-2 (see section 1) as an approximation of plant health. This data will be compared to climate data along the flight path to map vegetation indices to rainfall data. The result of this project is a trial and optimization/critique of diagnostic tools in the unique ecosystems of the American Southwest. The SMOLDER payload will conform to a 5.25” x 5.5” x 8.125” container and will weigh less than 2 kilograms. Current interface requirements include 5.1 Watts of power and 26 bps of downlink bandwidth. The team is composed of seven students from the School of Earth and Space Exploration, each assigned responsibility for at least one project subsystem.
Payload Integration Plan:
Monthly Briefings:
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