Kurt Beier

Spectroscopic Measurements from Space with the FOCUS Sensor System to analyse Gas and Smoke Properties of high Temperature Events

In 1998 the European Space Agency (ESA) selected the proposal FOCUS as the first and only Earth observation experiment for the Early Utilization Phase of the International Space Station (ISS). FOCUS consists of imaging sensors in the visible and infrared spectral region as well as an infrared Fourier transform (FTIR) spectrometer. It aims at autonomous detection and geolocation of high temperature events (HTE) on Earth like forest and bush fires, volcano eruptions or coal seam fires. Furthermore HTEs and their emissions are to be analyzed with respect to their spatial extension, temperatures, gas and smoke composition and distribution. This will be achieved by a combination of spectral and imaging data of the FOCUS sensor system and analyses based on unique fusion of these data. FOCUS is scheduled to be launched with ISS utilization flight UF-3 in September 2004.