Multi-spectral CCD camera system for ocean water color and seacoast observation

One of the earth observing instruments on HY-1 Satellite which will be launched in 2001, the multi-spectral CCD camera system, is developed by Beijing Institute of Space Mechanics & Electricity (BISME), Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST). In 798 km orbit, the system can provide images with 250 m ground resolution and a swath of 500 km. It is mainly used for coast zone dynamic mapping and oceanic watercolor monitoring, which include the pollution of offshore and coast zone, plant cover, watercolor, ice, terrain underwater, suspended sediment, mudflat, soil and vapor gross. The multi-spectral camera system is composed of four monocolor CCD cameras, which are line array-based, "push-broom" scanning cameras, and responding for four spectral bands. The camera system adapts view field registration; that is, each camera scans the same region at the same moment. Each of them contains optics, focal plane assembly, electrical circuit, installation structure, calibration system, thermal control and so on. The primary features on the camera system are: Offset of the central wave length is better than 5 nm; Degree of polarization is less than 0.5%; Signal-to-noise ratio is about 1000; Dynamic range is better than 2000:1; Registration precision is better than 0.3 pixel; Quantization value is 12 bit.