NASA Arcstone satellite and spectrometer begin active lunar calibration mission

Commissioning of NASA's Arcstone satellite and spectrometer has been completed, marking the transition to full scientific operations. Launched July 23 on a SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the satellite's bus and instrument underwent initial checkouts before activation.

On August 13, Arcstone began recording validated solar and lunar spectral measurements, the first dedicated effort to refine the precision of lunar reflectance calibration from orbit. By analyzing sunlight reflected from the Moon, Arcstone will establish a universal reference that can fine-tune other spacecraft instruments while on-orbit.

NASA describes this approach as a way to improve the accuracy of Earth-observing data while lowering mission complexity by reducing the need for onboard calibration systems. "A highly detailed calibration of lunar reflectance can improve the quality of spaceborne sensor data and result in lower complexity of mission hardware by eliminating the need for on-board calibration sensors," explained Constantine Lukashin, Arcstone principal investigator at NASA's Langley Research Center. "The Moon can be the preferred reference to fine-tune satellite instruments. Arcstone's measurements are intended to allow faster detection of data trends, lower costs, and significantly increase data quality."

The technology demonstration, funded through NASA's Earth Science Technology Office's In-space Validation of Earth Science Technologies program, is managed by NASA Langley in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, the USGS, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Resonon Inc., Blue Canyon Technologies, and Quartus Engineering.