Star Background Model

Frontier Technology, Inc. (FTI) is pleased to provide a solution to SBIR topic MDA11-032 with the proposal of the Encompass software tool. Encompass will consist of three components: the Encompass Catalog, a unified, scientifically rigorous star and celestial background catalog; the Encompass Stellar Model, a spectral irradiance calculation tool capable of providing predictive irradiance over 0.2-15µm for all cataloged stars; and the Encompass Scene Generator, a tool that combines stellar predictive irradiance, the diffuse background, and the specific environment of the measuring sensor to provide realistic stellar background for simulation and calibration of ground and space-based sensors. Encompass will provide the ability to calculate in-band irradiance at the sensor aperture in user-defined spectral pass bands with user-defined relative system spectral response from a position either space-based or within the Earth"s atmosphere. Encompass will also provide a probable uncertainty associated with the calculated in-band irradiance along with full traceability of the calculation. Spectral bands for space-based sensors have different constraints than those for sensors within the atmosphere, so the Encompass tool will be able to address both cases. With these features, Encompass can become the industry standard for realistic simulation and calibration planning for UV-IR remote sensing missions.