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Aircraft and Payload
The next development phase will utilize a General Atomics ALTAIR UAV. This UAV has >750 pound (340 kg) payload capacity, 32 hour endurance with payload, cruise airspeed of 151 knots, operating altitude >50,000 feet (15,000 m), and range of >4000 miles. ALTAIR uses over-the-horizon command and control via a high data rate commercial Ku-band satellite (MEXSAT5) communications link.
The Airborne Infrared Disaster Assessment System (AIRDAS) is a four-channel line-scan instrument designed for airborne imaging of wildland fires and other natural and man-induced disasters. The instrument has been laboratory-calibrated to accurately resolve fire intensities up to 700°C. Data are collected in four spectral regions: band 1, 0.61-0.68 micron; band 2, 1.57-1.70 micron; band 3, 3.60-5.50 micron; and band 4, 5.50-13.0 micron. Each band provides useful information for fire analysis. Band 1 is suitable for monitoring smoke plumes and distinguishing surface features (roads, cultural features and vegetation communities). Band 2 (near-infrared) is suitable for analysis of vegetative condition, as well as very hot fire fronts (above 300°K), and is effective at penetrating smoke plumes. Band 3 (mid-infrared thermal) is specifically designed for sensing high temperature conditions existing in the fire front and differentiating smoldering complexes from active flame fronts. Band 4 collects thermal data on earth ambient temperatures and on the lower temperature soil heating conditions behind fire fronts. The AIRDAS has a field-of-view (FOV) of 108° cross-track, with instantaneous field-of-view (IFOV) of 2.62 milliradians, yielding spatial resolution of approximately 8 meters from flight altitude of 10,000 ft.
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