Aerospace Engineering Programs

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MSTI 2 & 3 PROGRAMS

The Miniature Sensor Technology Integration (MSTI) program began in 1992 with the goal of producing a fast response capability and demonstrating access to space within nine months of a program's inception.

The image above provides an intermediate results from ACT's processing of the MSTI2 MWIR camera while looking at the Lake Tahoe Stampeed Reservoir. Observation Date&Time: 20/8/94 at 2:40 AM Cotton Wood Forest (39.4 lat,120.35 West long.) Affected Area: 55,000 acres.

The MSTI-2 satellite was a BMDO satellite launched using the last Scout vehicle in May 1994. The satellite operated in a 431 km circular Earth orbit with a sun-synchronous geometry (approximately 6:40 equatorial crossing time). MSTI-2 contains two infrared cameras: a PtSi SWIR camera with a single spectral filter and an InSb MWIR camera with a six position filter wheel. The mission requirement for MSTI-2 was to track boosting targets below the horizon in the SWIR. MSTI-2 successfully tracked the first stage of a Minuteman 3 missile. The MWIR camera was included to attempt below- the-horizon background clutter measurements as a precursor to MSTI-3 and to provide backup to the SWIR track camera.

On MSTI2 ACT's support concentrated on determining the source for anomalous target tracker performance. Using ACT's ProVIEW, within 3 days we completely modeled the Automated Target Tracker system in MSTI2, permitting a timely identification of the source of the anomaly. After that point ACT started providing systematic image analysis to most of the MSTI2 observations.

The MSTI-3 is an Air Force and Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) experiment launched on a Pegasus booster early 1996 using the Pegasus booster with the L-1011. It is the first of the MSTI satellites with the primary objectives being science-driven and is a good example of the science which can be done from a small satellite in low earth orbit. MSTI-3 is an advanced technology demonstration platform whose primary objective is to characterize the SWIR (2.7 *m) and MWIR (4.3 *m) background clutter to the fidelity necessary for designing sensors to perform early warning acquisition and warm body track below the horizon (BTH).

Calibrated MSTI3 images of Washington, D.C. (not georeferenced).

Similar to the LACE/UVPI and Clementine I programs, ACT has established all the front end image processing capabilities for MSTI3. An image data volume of approximately 10,000 images/day is currently being processed to level 1A & 2.