Drive Electronics and Sensor System for the Roadrunner Imager Payload

Camera system designs produced at Nova Biomimetics for the Naval Earthmap Observer (NEMO) satellite payload have produced preliminary spaceflight-qualifiable designs that may be readily applied to instrumentation payloads for newly-planned experiments. Specific designs produced and implemented for the Panchromatic Imaging Camera (PIC) are particularly appropriate for systems requiring large pixel-count line scanning systems operating at fast lines rates for high spatial resolution applications from low-Earth orbits. This proposal details plans for a project that uses the proven spaceflight-qualified designs for the NEMO PIC camera and modifies these designs to produce a four-sensor version that may be applied to the Roadrunner spacecraft payload within the schedule and cost constraints of a Phase II SBIR effort. Nova will make use of valuable test data taken on the flight and flight-backup PIC camera systems and incorporate lessons learned to produce high-quality imaging sensor data within the stringent time constraints of this effort. Under this program, a strategically-assembled team with the required design, assembly and testing capabilities will be tasked with producing the camera system that has military and commercial applications.