Radiometric calibration procedures for a wideband infrared scene projector (WISP)

The Wideband Infrared Scene Projector (WISP) has been undergoing development for the Kinetic-Kill Vehicle Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator facility at Eglin AFB, Florida. In order to perform realistic tests of an infrared seeker, the radiometric output of the WISP system must produce the same response in the seeker as the real scene. In order to ensure this radiometric realism, calibration procedures must be established and followed. This paper describes calibration procedures that have been used in recent tests. The procedures require knowledge of the camera spectral response in the seeker under test. The camera is set up to operate over the desired range of observable radiances. The camera is then nonuniformity corrected (NUCed) and calibrated with an extended blackbody. The camera drift rates are characterized, and as necessary, the camera is reNUCed and recalibrated. The camera is then set up to observe the WISP system, and calibration measurements are made of the camera/WISP system.