Patents issued and pending

© 2024 Urban Sky. All Rights Reserved. Urban Sky, 4800 Race St. Denver, CO 80216

Status: Active

Authors: Mark Robertson, Jared Leidich, Riley Reid

Change Log:

• 11 November — Finalized and prepared for publishing
• 7 July 2024 — Finalized previously undecided items; link to sensor model and metadata; L1B images are in portrait mode
• 3 April 2024 — First draft version

Background

The Urban Sky microballoon is a small lighter-than-air balloon system capable of carrying a variety of payload systems to the stratosphere or upper atmosphere. Urban Sky has developed a real-time thermal imager that hangs below that microballoon system capable of real-time high resolution thermal imaging as well as post-processed thermal mapping.

Hot Spot Thermal Imager System Specs:

The Hot Spot Thermal Imager Captures Long Wave InfraRed (LWIR) Thermal Imagery. The imaging Payload is shown below, which integrates directly to the base of an Urban Sky Microballoon through an integrated mechanical quick disconnect fitting. The specs of the imager paired with an Urban Sky microballoon are below:

• Flight Altitude: 15-21 km
• Swath Width: 10 - 18 km (depending on altitude)
  • This is the width of the extent the system can sense in its base configuration
• Compatible Wind Speeds (at what lateral wind speeds can the system fly): 5 - 90 km/hr
• Coverage rates / scanning rates: 50 - 1,500 km^2 per hour depending on wind speed (1000 km^2 / hr typical)
• Native Resolution: 2.5m - 4m GSD (depending on flight altitude)