BOLTON, Mass. -- Headwall Photonics, a designer and manufacturer of high-performance spectral imaging solutions, has further demonstrated the ability of commercial hyperspectral technologies to detect methane emissions. With increasing regulation, air quality assessment, and greenhouse gas emission represent a critical factor in assessing and mitigating climate change.

Recent data collected by the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) from a manned aircraft operated by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) were used to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the upcoming MethaneSAT program, funded by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The CfA is a Headwall partner in developing data solutions for this application area.

Headwall Photonics designed and delivered two high-resolution imaging spectrometers under the "MethaneAIR" project for CfA. The project extends Headwall's work in the field of gas detection, which also includes solutions for NEC Space's HISUI (Hyperspectral Imager Suite) for the International Space Station, JAXA's GOBLEU systems deployed on commercial aircraft, and GHGSat's CLAIRE-D satellite for remote-sensing of greenhouse-gas and AQG air-quality gas emissions.

"Headwall is proud to be part of the team, demonstrating the value of advanced hyperspectral capabilities to address the enormous issue of climate change globally," said David Blair, Headwall's Vice President of Product Development. "This program demonstrates that high precision data can be generated within commercial budgets and timelines. Hyperspectral imagery is a critical technology that enables detection based on the chemical composition of objects within a scene and provides for the characterization and quantification of those objects within the field of view."

Providing industry-leading spectral and spatial resolution in robust yet compact form factors, Headwall's patented Hyperspec imaging sensor platforms are optimized for the UV-VIS, VNIR, Extended-VNIR, NIR, and SWIR spectral regions acquiring data from satellite platforms to unmanned/manned aircraft to ground-based measurements.

Source: Headwell Photonics