Developments towards a filter wheel hyperspectral camera for planetary exploration

The benefits of hyperspectral imaging in remote sensing applications are well established and it is now routinely exploited in terrestrial applications. However the restrictions imposed on mass and power consumption and the extreme operating conditions encountered in extra-terrestrial environments have limited its widespread use for planetary exploration. Instead multispectral camera systems with typically 10-12 discrete filters are employed, providing only coarse spectral information. By exploiting the properties of interference filters off axis it is possible to obtain additional spectral information. Recent advances in filter technology have made it possible to develop a simple and lightweight wide angle hyperspectral camera employing a filter wheel. The theory of operation and early test results from a prototype camera system are presented.