Image processing for the IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) satellite.

The International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite was designed to measure faint ultraviolet spectra of stars by means of a telescope and echelle spectrograph combination. It produces data in the form of a raster-like image which is recorded by an SEC Vidicon camera and transmitted to ground. This paper describes various camera defects which effect image quality, e.g. photometric nonlinearity, geometric distortion and limited resolution. Methods used for calibrating and correcting for these defects are discussed, and the image processing software developed to carry out these tasks is described. Examples from various stages of processing are shown.