Micro-spectrometer design for nano-satellite applications

纳米卫星（质量小于10公斤的航天器）为HQP培训、技术演示和先进的天基研究提供了新的机会。下一代超小型卫星已经在取代传统（大型、昂贵、国营）卫星，用于各种私营工业和学术研究任务，包括动物跟踪、船舶跟踪、通信、资源监测、大气科学、天气预报和地球物理学。在过去的8年里，我们进行了研究，以开发新技术，扩大纳米卫星平台的能力，用于工业和科学目的。在拟议的研究中，我们建议与COM DEV Canada Ltd.合作，开发一种基于微光学技术的新型微型光学有效载荷，即用于超小型卫星应用的微型空间外差光谱仪。小型化光学仪器是空间工程的一个关键研究领域，其目的是利用超小型卫星平台廉价而迅速地提高我们的大气观测能力。拟议的研究建立在以前的研究光谱仪设计在约克大学的原型干涉光谱仪的开发。先前设计的原型光谱仪是为使用空间外差技术进行水蒸气检测而开发的，该技术具有高通量、高光谱分辨率和无移动部件的特点。拟议的研究是以前工作的延伸，目的是使用微制造技术设计和制造一个完全集成的微型光谱仪。

Nanosatellites (spacecraft with mass less than 10 kilograms) offer novel opportunities for HQP training, technology demonstration, and advanced space-based research. The next generations of nanosatellites are already replacing conventional (large-scale, expensive, state-operated) satellites for a variety of private industry and academic research missions, including animal tracking, vessel tracking, communication, resource monitoring, atmospheric science, weather forecasting and geophysics. For the past 8 years we have conducted research to develop new technologies that extend the capabilities of the nanosatellite platform for both industrial and scientific purposes. In the proposed research, we propose to extend this research, in partnership with COM DEV Canada Ltd., to develop a novel miniature optical payload, based on micro-optics technology, namely a micro Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer (SHS) for nanosatellite applications. Miniaturizing optical instruments is a critical research area in space engineering which aims to take advantage of the nanosatellite platform to cheaply and rapidly advance our atmospheric observational capability. The proposed research builds on a previous study on spectrometer design at York University where a prototype interferometric spectrometer was developed. The previously designed prototype spectrometer was developed for water vapour detection using spatial heterodyne technique that offers high throughput, high spectral resolution and no moving parts. The proposed research is an extension of the previous work and aims to use micro-fabrication techniques to design and fabricate a fully integrated micro-spectrometer .in a highly compact package ideal for atmospheric observations on nanosatellites.