A presentation about the MUX, the first satellite camera entirely developed and produced in Brazil, is one of the landmarks of the celebration of 51 years of the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – Inpe), August 10, in São José dos Campos. The camera, already integrated to the China-Brazil satellite Cbers-3, which will be launched in China by the end of this year, was designed in 2005 and its development plays an important role in the Brazilian space program, which is the qualification of the national industry.
The MUX is a 20-meter resolution and multispectral camera that records blue, green, red and infrared images. These spectral bands have well calibrated functions aiming its use in different applications, mainly in the control of water resources and forestry.
“The primary purpose is to collect images for land resources monitoring. This includes hydrological, forestry, agricultural, urban perimeter and mineral control and monitoring, as well as the planning for sustainable occupation, fires, illegal mining, logging, among others,” explains Mário Selingardi, project manager of MUX at Inpe.
The national company hired by Inpe to enable the MUX design is Opto Eletrônica, from São Carlos (SP), which was able to develop the 115-kg camera, divided in three modules. The camera itself weight 95kg and is 1,1m x 0,55m x 0,8m, where are the lens, the focal plane and the whole structure and thermal system, radiators, heaters, electronic proximity, etc. Along with it goes another module, which controls the focal adjustment system, the thermal control and some auxiliary systems. The system is completed by the machine where the image is processed and conditioned for transmission to Earth.
Being one of the most sophisticated space projects in Brazil, MUX demanded thorough and rigorous analysis, because the camera must support the required lifetime in the harsh environment of space.
Cbers
Cbers (China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) Program satellites are used to monitor deforestation in Brazil, urban sprawl and agriculture, among other applications. In partnership with China, Inpe has launched three satellites: Cbers-1, in 1999; Cbers-2, in 2003; and Cbers-2B, in 2007.
One of the main remote sensing programs in the world, next to the American satellite Landsat, the French Spot and the Indian ResourceSat, Cbers promotes innovation in the national space industry, creating jobs in a high-tech industry, which is crucial for Brazil.
Due to the policy of free access to images, a pioneering initiative of Inpe, the Cbers images are distributed free of charge to any user on the internet, which has contributed to the popularization of remote sensing and to the growth of the Brazilian geo information market.
Source: Inpe