Accuracy of a slew maneuver for the HYPSO-1 hyperspectral imaging satellite — in-orbit results

Abstract

In this paper, the accuracy of a slew maneuver performed by the HYPSO-1 satellite is analysed based on the data received during the satellite’s first months in orbit. The slew maneuver, during which the satellite turns with a constant angular velocity over a given target area, is meant to decrease the ground sampling distance of pixels recorded by the push-broom hyperspectral imager. We compare the pointing accuracy when pointing nadir with the accuracy the satellite achieves when the satellite slews, and also the impact the slew maneuver has on the resulting data products, namely the decreased ground sampling distance and the increased signal per area. The selected slew maneuver itself shows a root-mean-square accuracy of 0.675 mrad/s about the axis of rotation. Analysis of the images shows that the slew maneuver provides 2.80 times as many samples per area, and a decrease in ground sampling distance of 63.6% along track.