BIRD - A Microsatellite for Hot Spot Detection

The BIRD mission of the German Aerospace Centre shall demonstrate the scientific and technological value and the technical and programmatic feasibility of a remote sensing small satellite mission under low budget constraints. The payload -a new generation of cooled infrared detectors- is adapted to the mission objective - the investigation of hot spots caused by forest fires or volcanic activities completed by the diagnosis of vegetation conditions and changes. BIRD -the Bispectral Infra-Red Detector- is a three-axis stabilised spacecraft within a volume of 0.21 m3 and a mass of 88 kg. In flight configuration with one fixed and two deployed solar panels, providing 40 W average and 200 W peak power, the spacecraft dimensions are 620x 1600x 620 mm3 • Although compatible to several launchers due to the highly compact design, the launch is scheduled for mid 2000 as a piggy-back payload. To fit in this time scale a modular design was chosen for parallel development, manufacturing and integration of all functional segments. The article gives an overview of the mission objectives and some of the main design aspects as well as shows the status of work of the space segment

Die DLR-Kleinsatellitenmission BIRD

BIRD (Bispectral InfraRed Detection) ist eine DLR-Kleinsatellitenmission zur Erdfernerkundung mit wissenschaftlichen und technologischen Zielstellungen. Mit der BIRD-Mission wird erstmals eine neue Generation von Infrarotsensoren in Kombination mit einer modifizierten WAOSS-Kamera (Weitwinkel-Stereo-Kamera für die Mars-96-Mission) für die wissenschaftliche Fernerkundung von Vegetationsbränden aus dem Weltraum erprobt. Der Vortrag beschreibt die Zielstellungen der Mission, die Huckepack-Startmöglichkeit für den 85kg-Satelliten, die wissenschaftliche Nutzlast, den Satellitenbus, die Missionsarchitektur und Aspekte des Missionsbetriebs. Ein internationaler Vergleich zeigt die Schrittmacherfunktion der BIRD-Mission (Start 2001)

Feuerwächter im All - Kleinsatellit überwacht Hochtemperaturereignisse auf der Erde

Angeregt in Europa, entstand in den letzten Jahren das globale Überwachungssystem für Umwelt und Sicherheit - Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES). Eine wichtige Zielsetzung von GMES ist das Bestimmen des jährlichen globalen Kohlenstoffeintrages in die Atmosphäre, durch Waldbrände, Brandrodungen und Kühleflözfeuer. Dazu ist das weltraumgestützte Monitoring von diesen Feuern unerlässlich. Abbildende Sensoren auf polar umlaufenden Satelliten, mit Bahnhöhen von weniger als 1000 km, und Satelliten auf geostationären Umlaufbahnen werden für die globale Beobachtung von irdischen Hoch-Temperatur-Ereignissen (HTE) gegenwärtig "mitbenutzt" und sind in der Lage, Fernerkundungsdaten bereitzustellen

Space-based evaluation of fires with the BIRD microsatellite mission

For hot spot events as forest and vegetation fires, burning coal seams or volcanic activities a dedicated space instrumentation does not exist. Sensors being used now for the observation of these events have some drawbacks because they are not designed for the hot spot investigation. For the near future there are missions planned with a new generation of cooled infrared array sensors. The German BIRD (Bi-spectral Infrared Detection) mission will answer a lot of technological and scientific questions related to the operation of a compact bi-spectral infrared push-broom sensor on board of a micro satellite and related to the detection and investigation of fires from space. Therefore, the BIRD primary mission objectives are: ·Test of a new generation of infrared array sensors adapted to Earth remote sensing objectives, ·Detection and scientific investigation of High Temperature Events such as forest fires, volcanic activities, and coal seam fires, ·Test and demonstration of new small satellite technologies, such as on-board navigation system, new board computers, star sensors, reaction wheels and other. The secondary mission objectives consists in: ·Test and demonstration of on-board classification by means of a neural networks circuit ·scientific issues related to the diagnostics of vegetation conditions and changes. The payload is a multi-sensor system designed to fulfill the scientific requirements under the conditions of a micro satellite. The multi-sensor system consists of a new developed infrared array sensor system tailored to hot spot detection from space, a CCD camera with a red and a near infrared channel, a payload data handling system with a 1 Gbit mass memory and a on-board neural network classificator. The BIRD mission is a small satellite mission funded by DLR. The BIRD satellite is launched with the Indian PSLV-C3 in October 2001 into a 572 km circular Sun-synchronous Low Earth Orbit. Starting from the scientific requirements and the mission constraints the presentation will show the performance and limits of the mission with regard to the detection and investigation of fires or volcano activities from space. First results of the remote sensing of vegetation fires should be presented

Reasons for Satellite Mission Miniaturisation and its Consequences

There are at least two reasons for satellite missions miniaturisation: - Transition form Earth exploration to Earth watch with concentration on specific phenomena to be observed with optimised sensor systems, - Development of advanced technologies in many fields of engineering sciences. The miniaturisation is supported by high-end off-the-shelf technologies and instruments for quick and low-cost realisation as well as by the extensive use of advanced technologies leading to increased mission performance but also to higher costs. The paper gives examples for mission design, space segment design, and instrument design, respectively. All the experiences and examples shown in this paper are mainly based on activities of the DLR - Institute of Space Sensor Technology