Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN 237
Information
Resolution or
Instantaneous
Instrument Part of Spectrum Obtained Format Field of View Field of View
RC8 Camera, Visible 0.4–0.7m Color Distribution Film 9x9 70 lines/mm 74° Edge-Edge
Color IR* Qualitative
T11 Camera, Visible 0.5–0.7m Conventional Film 9x9 35 lines/mm 74° Edge-Edge
Black & White* Photo Information
Multispectral Visible Color Distribution Film 70mm 70 lines/mm 18° (not stereo)
Camera* Near IR 0.9
Near UV 0.3–0.4m
Quantitative
IR Imager #1 IR 4.5–5.5 Radiant Tempera- Single Channel *** 78°
ture Distribution 35mm
Split Channel 16mm
IR Imager #2 IR 8–13 Radiant Temperature
Distribution
Film 70mm *** 90°
Passive UV 2900–4000 O
A
UV Reflectance Single Channel ***
35mm
Split Channel 16mm
78°
IR Spectrometer 5–15 Spectral Distribu- Line Trace Spectral Resolu- 2 1°
tion of Emitted tion 0.1 of
Energy (Gross
Chemistry of
Surface)
Spectral Range
Microwave 33mm; 8.5mm; Radiant Tempera- Line Trace 1° Kelvin Several Degrees
Radiometer 19mm; 13.5mm ture Distribution
to Some Depth
Ryan 13.3Gh Radar Backscatter Magnetic 0.1° Beam Width 60° Fore
Scatterometer (∇o∨sθ) Tape 60° Aft
30° Wide
Side Looking
Radar **
35Gh Radar Image Strip Photo *** ***
Broad Band IR 8–14 Radiant Tempera- Line Trace 1° Kelvin 2 1°
Radiometer** ture of Surface
Passive Micro- Broad Band Distribution of Film 70mm
2
1° 90°
wave Imager** Centered at Radiant Tempera-
9Gh tures to Some Depth
Imaging Radar*** *** Radar Image of 9-1/2" Film 15m 10-mile Swath
Reflectivity of
Surface and Near
Surface
Split Channel
* Two of these operable simultaneously
** Not available at present
*** Separate aircraft
**** Classified
Gh = (Gigahertz)=10 9
cycles per second
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Figure 2. Characteristics of Remote Sensing Instruments for the CV-240A, P3A, and Other NASA Aircraft
Document II-14
Document title: “Prepared by Jaffe and Badgley at Seamans’ Request: NASA Natural
Resources Program,” May 13, 1966.
Source: NASA Historical Reference Collection, NASA History Office, NASA
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
A continual problem in the NASA Earth Resources Program involved conflicts between the developers
and the users of technology regarding spacecraft design. NASA wanted to develop large, complicated