Comparison of vicarious and on-board infrared calibration sources for small satellites

Hydrosat's VanZyl-1 demonstration payload is representative of an emerging class of small satellite payloads, with a goal to enable infrared measurements relevant to Earth science applications in a small size, weight, and power (SWaP) footprint. In order to optimize the performance of an infrared instrument within the confines of a hosted payload allocation or other SmallSat form factor, careful attention must be paid to the radiometric calibration sources that will be available on orbit. This paper explores the state of the art in compact blackbody sources and alternative on-board calibration sources, as well as established practices for vicarious calibration such as oceans or the lunar surface. These options will be summarized in terms of high-level calibration goals including relative detector calibration, absolute response calibration, and reference target radiometric knowledge over time.