Incorporating Geometric And Radiative Effects Into Infrared Scanning Computer Analysis

A NASA program, the SILTS experiment (Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature Sensing) will utilize an infrared scanning system mounted at the tip of the vertical stabilizer to remotely measure the surface temperature of the leeside of the space shuttle during entry from orbit. Scans of the fuselage and one wing will be made alternately. The experiment will correlate real full scale data to ground-based information. In order to quantitatively assess the temperature profile of the surface, an algorithm is required which incorporates the space shuttle shape, location of specific materials on the surface, and the measurement geometry between the camera and the surface. This paper will discuss the algorithm.