Combined High-Speed, Thermal, and Event Camera Imaging Sensor for Plume-Surface Interactions

The Plume-Surface Interaction Combined Hot-fire Imaging Camera (PSICHIC) is a novel imaging sensor that will advance the state of plume-surface interaction (PSI) observation by combining the capabilities of a high-speed camera, a thermal camera, and an event camera into a single, compact system designed to be used in stereo. PSICHIC leverages advances in camera technology to study and measure plume surface interaction PSI effects for planetary landings, initially in a terrestrial test setting and ultimately as a payload aboard lunar landers. Developed with a focus on studying lunar PSI effects, PSICHIC could also be useful for observing and modeling PSI and cratering effects for rocket-powered landings on Earth and Mars as well as for observing and imaging hot-fire rocket engine tests. PSICHIC will provide valuable new data from terrestrial hot-fire testing (and eventually from lunar landings), including data not readily observed by the human eye or high-speed cameras, that will advance the state of the art of PSI modeling and simulation. The PSICHIC system can be readily paired with existing Astrobotic PSI test infrastructure to provide a wealth of new optical and thermal data concerning ejecta physics and the behavior of regolith during lunar and planetary landings.