Infrared Spectrometer for the Cryovacuum Environment

The 7V and 10V space chambers at Arnold Air Force Base are deep space environment simulators developed to test high performance interceptors and surveillance sensors in deep space conditions (20K background temperature). The chambers operate over the visible to Long Wave Infrared portions of the spectra. The proposed spectrometer will be designed for integrated into either the 7V or 10V space chamber to assist in calibration/test of the collimator/source array and to test the resistive source array, point sources, flood sources and monochromator source. The starting design for the spectrometer named CHRIS (Compact High Resolution Infrared Spectrometer) makes use of Polaris"Division of Aperture technology, Grism diffractive elements realized with Grey Scale Technology, and the Aquarius Si:As focal plane array offered by Raytheon. Several designs will be investigated as part of the Phase I development and an optimal design will be proposed for Phase II development. The proposed spectrometer design provides for both 1D spatial information and spectral information between the wavelengths 1 and 20 microns. The spectrometer is small and lightweight, and has the potential to mature into a field portable ruggedized sensor. The design uses current state-of-the-art commercially available components. BENEFIT: It is anticipated that the Compact High Resolution Infrared Spectrometer (CHRIS) will have a wide range of applications including chemical threat cloud detection, nuclear proliferation detection, humanitarian de-mining, remote sensing, and medical imaging. The sensor is designed to be small, compact and lightweight, allowing the sensor to be operated from a variety of platforms, including airborne, military vehicle, stationary outdoor or naval.