DESCRIPTION |
Online Reference: http://wundow.wustl.edu/clbin/clsearch.pl
Instrument Overview
===================
The High Resolution Imaging (HIRES) camera combines a lightweight
beryllium telescope with an image intensifier-coupled frame
transfer charge couple device (CCD) imager. Image shuttering is
accomplished through voltage gating of the image intensifier.
Maximum integration time is 733 milliseconds with 10.67 microsecond
increments. Spectral response is limited in the system by the S-2
photo cathode between 0.4 and 0.8 microns. Five spectral bands can
be selected from a filter wheel which is controlled through the
serial-addressable synchronous interface (SASI). A sixth filter
position is allocated to an opaque filter for the protection of the
photocathode and image intensifier.
The post-FPA electronics circuitry is identical to that used in the
UVVIS camera. Images of the dayside of the moon used intensifier
gate times with relatively low gain settings on the order of 1
millisecond.
Lifetime concerns about the photocathode and micro channel plates
in the intensifier unit drove operational settings to low
exposures. This resulted in photon shot noise contributing
significantly to the overall noise in the HIRES sensor.
Additionally, the image intensifier imposed a nonuniformity on
images. This yielded images that did not compress well using the
MATRA optimized rms algorithm. For this reason, JPEG compression,
which discards high spatial frequency detail, was employed on the
Hires images.
The Hires performance specifications are provided below.
Scientific Objectives
=====================
The HIRES camera was used primarily to photograph the lunar poles
at very high resolutions ranging from 10 to 15 meters/pixel
(effective resolution of 40 to 60 meters when taking into account
the 4 pixel point spread function of the instrument). Polar
observations were made primarily with the 750nm spectral filter
(filter wheel position D). Because of the narrow field-of-view of
the HIRES camera overlapping coverage of the HIRES imaging was not
possible between -80 to 80 degrees latitude.
The HIRES camera was also used to make high-resolution color
observations of special targets such as the Apollo landing sites
and Earth seen from lunar orbit.
Calibration
===========
The radiometric calibration converts the digitized signal received
from the camera (DN value) into a quantity that is proportional to
the radiance reaching the sensor. The sensitivity of the CCD focal
plane array varies across the field of view but appears to be time
invariant during the two month lunar observation period. The HIRES
camera was calibrated before launch. Laboratory observations of a
flat field under various operating temperatures and camera
operation modes provides information about the sensitivity of the
camera under expected spaceflight conditions. During inflight
operations, a variety of calibration observations were made
including images of stars with known radiance (Vega) and the Apollo
Landing sites where laboratory spectra of returned lunar samples
have been measured.
Geometric calibration removes optical distortions of the imaging
system. The geometric distortion of the HIRES camera has been
shown to be minimal (maximum optical distortion does not exceed 0.1
pixels) and can be satisfactorily modeled by a 2nd order
polynomial.
In regards to the HiRes 750nm Strip Mosaics Archive (DATA_SET_ID =
CLEM1-L-H-5-DIM-MOSAIC-V1.0, PDS volumes CL_6001 through
CL_6022), the Hires geometric and photometric calibrations were
referenced to the UVVIS Basemap Mosaic. The geometric calibration
was achieved through a constrained registration of map-projected,
nadir-pointed Hires images against the UVVIS Basemap Mosaic, which
is the de facto lunar control network. An approximate photometric
calibration was performed on Hires mosaic tiles of sufficiently
limited extent (1.75 degrees of latitude) that the photometric
response was approximately constant. Then, the linear stretch
which matches the underlying UVVIS Baseline Mosaic approximates the
photometric calibration of the Hires tile.
For additional information on the geometric and radiometric
calibration of the Clementine imaging systems, contact the PDS
Imaging Node.
Operational Considerations
==========================
Lifetime concerns about the photocathode and micro channel plates
on the HIRES camera led to several decisions on the operation of
the camera during the lunar mapping phase of the mission. The
primary objective of the HIRES camera was to have been high-
resolution color imaging of the asteroid Geographos; lunar
observations were of secondary importance. The Geographos fly-by
was abandoned due to a spacecraft malfunction that caused a spin up
of the spacecraft and loss of attitude control on May 7, 1994. The
HIRES camera was essentially 'turned off' during the lunar
observations between the latitude ranges -50 to 50 degrees, thereby
preserving the life of the instrument. The imaging system remained
active at this time due to the electronic coupling with the LIDAR
altimeter but the camera was set so that no real imaging was
acquired. The result is that most HIRES images acquired at mid-
latitudes are not usable.
The unusable HIRES imaging was included in the archive of EDR data
products in order to form a complete set of all data returned by
the spacecraft. At high latitudes low camera settings were used to
ensure the HIRES camera would be undamaged for the Geographos
encounter. Thus, the signal/noise ratio of the HIRES imaging data
during the lunar mapping phase is less than ideal. Photon shot
noise and the 'honey comb' noise pattern of the intensifier is
evident in most of the lunar images.
The pole-to-pole lunar observations provided scenes with a broad
range of viewing conditions, ranging from bright observations near
zero phase angle at the equator to very low light-level
observations at the poles. In order to properly record an
observation with an optimal signal-to-noise ratio it is important
to adequately fill the 8-bit (255 levels) dynamic range of the A/D
camera output. The integration time (exposure time) and the gain
and offset settings of the instrument were adjusted to properly
record each image. During the systematic mapping, the gain state
of the camera was normally set to lower values for the mid-latitude
observations and set to higher levels (thereby increasing the
sensitivity of the A/D converter) at the higher latitudes.
Integration times were rarely increased as observations approached
the poles, nominally being set to 1.067 ms. Lunar observations
were broken into 10 latitude bins. Each latitude bin nominally
contained fixed gain and offset modes and integration times for
each camera/filter combination, although occasional offlooking
slews that fell within a bin other than that corresponding to the
subspacecraft point resulted in images with differing acquisition
settings.
The Clementine orbit was designed to provide overlapping coverage
in both the down-track (~15% overlap) and cross-track (~10% overlap
at the equator) directions. The image overlap is necessary to
geometrically control images in cartographic applications.
Operational Modes
=================
The HIRES camera had four operating modes:
1. Programmable integration time. (up to 733 milliseconds in 10.67
millisecond steps)
2. A/D Gain Mode. The gain mode represents the multiplicative
constant applied to the image data passing through the A/D
converter. Three gain state settings were available (1,2,4).
3. A/D Offset Mode. The offset mode represents the additive
constant applied to the image data passing through the A/D
converter. There were 14 offset mode settings (1-14).
4. Microchannel Plate Gain Mode. The mode provided gain control on
the microchannel plate. (8-bit, 255 step gain control).
Camera Specifications
=====================
Detectors
---------
Focal Plane Array -
Type : Si Charge Coupled Device
Thomson TH7863-CRU (Not UV enhanced)
Pixel format : 288x384
Pixel size : 23x23 microns
Readout rate : 4MHz
Image intensifier -
Image intensifier module : General Atomics 0131-Z12-2-009
Useful photocathode diameter : 12 mm
Luminous gain : 1000 fL/fC
Limiting resolution : 40 lp/mm
Gain control : 8 bits
Power : 9.5 W
Properties FPA and joined intensifier -
Wavelength 0.4 to 0.8 microns
Field of view 0.4 deg. x 0.3 deg.
Pixel IFOV 18 microradians
Point spread 4 pixels
Electronics
-----------
A/D resolution : 8 bits
Frame rate : 10 Hz
Readout time : 27.4 ms
Integration time : 0.2-733 ms
Digitization gain: 150,350,1000 electrons
Offset control : 248 gray levels
Power : 4.5 W
Filters
-------
Filter
Wheel Spectral
Position Band
-----------------------------------------------
A : 415 nm cw (plus-or-minus 20 nm bw)
B : 560 nm cw (plus-or-minus 5)
C : 650 nm cw (plus-or-minus 5)
D : 750 nm cw (plus-or-minus 10)
E : 400 to 800 nm broad band
F : opaque filter (no light transmittance)
Optics
------
Clear aperture : 131 nm
Speed : F/9.5
Mechanical
----------
Mass : 1120 grams
Size : 17.0 cm x 18.1 cm x 36.4 cm
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REFERENCES |
Ledebuhr, A.G., J.F. Kordas, I.T. Lewis, M.J. Richardson, G.R. Cameron,
W.T. White, D.W. Dobie, W.D. Strubhar, T.F. Tassinari, D. Sawyer, M.J.
Shannon, L.D. Pleasance, A.J. Lieber, P.K. Trost, D.W. Doll, and M.G.
Grote, HiRes Camera and Lidar Ranging System for the Clementine Mission,
Proceedings of the Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers
(SPIE), 2472, pp. 62-81, 1995.
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