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This page summarizes a CubeSat design for `MERBE-Sat'. This will bring full absolute SI traceability to all MERBE data from the year 2000, by characterizing the Moon's spectral albedo. A visualization of the MERBE-Sat orbital operation is shown in the animation.

MERBE-Sat

Conceptual visualization of MERBE-Sat in orbit behind the ISS

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MERBE-Sat WFOV & NFOV telescopes

A modification of an original design for the CLARREO mission (USPAT 8,174,693), this uses two telescopes of  Wide Field of View (WFOV) and Narrow Field of View (NFOV) nature, as shown. The WFOV is used to characterize a Solar Intensity Dispersing (SID) lens transmission, using direct views of the Sun with SID both in and out of the optical train. This same SID of known transmission then spreads direct solar radiance on the NFOV spectrometer, allowing it to be characterized to absolute SI traceable standards. 

 

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3U MERBE-Sat concept

This now calibrated NFOV spectrometer then scans the Moon, making the most accurate measurements yet of lunar spectral albedo. Such new SI traceability can then be used for a onetime adjustment of all MERBE EBAF-like data stabilized using the Moon, back to the year 2000.

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