Building Earth Observation Cameras

116 Building Earth Observation Cameras

selection lters. A similar concept in a different way was implemented in

Landsat MSS. During the development phase of MSS, integrated detector

arrays had not yet been developed for space use, so a matrix of ber optic

elements was used at the focal plane to separate the four spectral bands.

Each band had 6 detectors, and hence 24 bers were arranged in a 4 × 6

array (corresponding to the 4 spectral bands and the 6 lines scanned per

band), forming the focal plane assembly whose square end forms a eld stop.

The radiation falling on the ber array was carried by a ber optic pigtail

to the detector lter ...