United States Naval Research Laboratory
Bio-Optical/Physical Processes and Remote Sensing Section
Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO)
Objective:
The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) is a new hyperspectral sensor that has been installed on the International Space Station (ISS). The low-cost, rapid-development sensor was built by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). NRL is also responsible for mission planning, target selection, and operational data processing for this new sensor. HICO is the first spaceborne hyperspectral sensor optimized for environmental characterization of both the coastal and open ocean; it has 128 bands with a spatial ground sampling distance (GSD) of roughly 100 meters. HICO's hyperspectral imaging provides unique capability for coastal monitoring and ocean characterization. Coastal zone products from HICO such as bathymetry, optical properties, biological properties, and bottom characterization can provide coastal managers and researchers new capabilities for ocean observation from space. HICO-derived products are generated by software developed at NRL Section 7331 called the Automated Processing System (APS) which performs vicarious calibration and atmospheric correction. APS also applies bio-optical inversion algorithms that exploit the hyperspectral signatures to convert raw HICO data to ocean bio-optical products. HICO is a prototype pathfinder sensor to establish sensor management and algorithm requirements for future generations of spaceborne hyperspectral sensors.
OSU HICO Project web page
