STAR-cc-OGSE

The Spectroscopically Tuneable Absolute Radiometric – calibration and characterisation – Optical Ground Support Equipment (STAR-cc-OGSE) facility is a cutting-edge facility developed by the Optical Radiometric Metrology group at NPL. It provides a comprehensive solution for the end-to-end calibration and characterisation of satellite instruments prior to launch.

Understanding how instruments perform is essential for mission success, particularly in climate and environmental monitoring. STAR-cc-OGSE addresses this need by offering both geometric and radiometric calibration capabilities—including straylight analysis, uniformity checks, and image quality assessments—within a single, integrated and fully characterised system.

The facility uses a continuously tuneable laser source, enabling precise spectral control, and an integrating sphere to allow use in both broadband and monochromatic modes across a wavelength range of 320 nm to 2500 nm. Calibration is traceable to NPL’s primary radiometric standard, the cryogenic radiometer, delivering uncertainties well below 0.5% (k=1). The system also supports bespoke geometric calibration via field masks tailored to specific sensor requirements, all traceable to dimensional standards.

Designed for flexibility and ease of use, STAR-cc-OGSE is ISO-5 cleanroom compatible and fully transportable, allowing deployment directly at customer sites. It supports a wide range of missions—from large-scale Earth observation platforms to compact cube-sats—making high-accuracy calibration more accessible and cost-effective.

By minimising the time and complexity of pre-launch testing, STAR-cc-OGSE helps ensure that satellite instruments meet performance requirements, enabling reliable data collection throughout the mission lifecycle and supporting the creation of long-term, cross-sensor datasets.