The development of the PROGERT sensor: A Smallsat payload for a Quebec forestry mission

PROGERT is a Quebec Government funded project to enhance remote sensing and geomatics services to the forestry industry. The design of a small satellite optical payload for PROGERT, including traditional hardware feasibility studies and mission analysis, is described. Three missions suitable for the satellite have been defined: mapping and inventory, monitoring of insect infestation and control, and monitoring of forest fires. Mission requirements include a repeat cycle of 1 week maximum, a spatial resolution of 10-40 m, coverage from 45 deg to 63 deg North Latitude, and a 3-year lifetime. Two orbit designs have been found to provide coverage of Quebec and offer advantages for remote sensing missions: a polar sun-synchronous orbit and a low inclined orbit (62 deg inclination). The PROGERT instrument is required to be under 50 kg and to be capable of scanning four spectral bands ranging from 435 nm to 830 nm. A pushbroom design composite charge coupled device sensor was selected as the optimum design and a Telecentric three mirror anastigmatic reflective design was selected for the instrument telescope. The TIFF format was selected as the data format and onboard data compression algorithms are being examined for serving users who have less stringent data requirements.