Cryogenic-Vacuum Compatible Infrared Scene Projection System (CVC IRSP) Based on the Digital Micromirror Device

ABSTRACT: This document presents Optical Sciences Corporation's SBIR technology transition proposal to complete development of an advanced Cryogenic-Vacuum Compatible Infrared Scene Projector (CVC IRSP) for Wide Field-of-View (WFOV) space sensor testing and to integrate the CVC IRSP into a government owned space simulation chamber. The CVC IRSP will be capable of projecting complex scenes which cover a wide FOV and have a wide temperature range, high spatial resolution, high temperature resolution, and correlated multi-band spectral output. This advanced IRSP technology will be used to support hardware-in-the-loop testing of space-based sensor systems which include Earth observing, strategic, and interceptor sensor systems. BENEFIT: The expected benefits associated with this technology will be two-fold. First, an improved capability for dynamic IR scene projection in a cryo-vacuum environment will be developed. The improved performance parameters will include higher spatial resolution, higher apparent temperatures, improved spatial uniformity, substantially higher frame rates, correlated multi-band unresolved point sources, and a reduced volume. Second, this technology will provide significant cost savings compared to the current CVC IRSP technologies. This advanced IRSP technology will be used to support hardware-in-the-loop testing of space-based sensor systems which include Earth observing, strategic, and interceptor sensor systems.