Spinoff story
Hyperspectral Systems Increase Imaging Capabilities
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
In 1983, NASA started developing hyperspectral systems to image in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared wavelengths. In 2001, the first on-orbit hyperspectral imager, Hyperion, was launched aboard the Earth Observing-1 spacecraft. Based on the hyperspectral imaging sensors used in Earth observation satellites, Stennis Space Center engineers and Institute for Technology Development researchers collaborated on a new design that was smaller and used an improved scanner. The technology is now exclusively licensed by Themis Vision Systems LLC, of Richmond, Virginia, and is widely used in medical and life sciences, defense and security, forensics, and microscopy.