PRISMA (spacecraft)
| Company type | Space mission / Satellite project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Space / Earth observation |
| Founded | March 22, 2019 |
| Founder | Italian Space Agency (ASI) |
| Headquarters | Italy |
| Products | Hyperspectral and panchromatic Earth observation data |
| Parent | Italian Space Agency (ASI) |
PRISMA (PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa, Hyperspectral Precursor of the Application Mission) is a pre-operational and technology demonstration project led by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Its primary aim is to develop hyperspectral imaging capabilities and validate hyperspectral payload technologies in orbit.
Constructed by Leonardo in partnership with OHB Italia, the satellite weighs 830 kg at launch and measures 1.75 m by 1.54 m by 3.4 m. It consumes an average power of 350 W, with peak power reaching 700 W.
The spacecraft was deployed on 22 March 2019 via a Vega launcher from the ELA-1 site at the Guiana Space Centre, facilitated by Arianespace. PRISMA operates in a sun-synchronous orbit approximately 614 km above Earth, inclined at 98.19 degrees, completing an orbit every 99 minutes.
Designed for Earth observation, PRISMA employs advanced hyperspectral imaging technology. It transmits data using S Band for command and control, while scientific data is downlinked through X band at 9.6 GHz with a bandwidth of 155 Mbit/s. The mission has a planned operational lifespan of five years, aiming to gather extensive datasets to aid environmental monitoring, resource management, and various commercial sectors.
Overview
PRISMA is an Earth observation satellite equipped with cutting-edge electro-optical instruments that integrate a hyperspectral sensor alongside a medium-resolution panchromatic camera. It captures imagery at a spatial resolution of 30 meters across scenes measuring 30 km by 30 km. This dual-instrument setup allows for both geometric identification of scenes and detailed chemical-physical analysis of surface materials, broadening its utility in environmental monitoring, resource management, crop classification, and pollution control, with additional potential applications in National Security.
The mission is entirely financed by the ASI and succeeds the previously cancelled HypSEO project. The satellite was launched on 22 March 2019 aboard a Vega rocket.
Scientific objectives
- Establish a pre-operational Earth Observation mission.[1]
- Demonstrate and validate Italian hyperspectral and panchromatic technology directly in orbit.[1]
- Confirm end-to-end data processing workflows tailored for new spectral resolution imaging applications.[1]
- Leverage ASI’s experience gained from the discontinued HypSEO and the Italian-Canadian Joint Hyperspectral Mission (JHM).[1]
Payload
Building upon the HypSEO framework and refined through JHM research, the payload comprises:
- PRISMA (Hyperspectral and Panchromatic instrument): a prism-based spectrometer system that includes a combined Hyperspectral/Panchromatic camera, optical assembly, and main electronics unit. Utilizing a pushbroom sensor approach, it captures hyperspectral data across approximately 250 bands at a spatial resolution of 30 meters over a swath width of 30 km. The spectral resolution achieves better than 12 nm throughout the 400–2500 nm range covering both VNIR and SWIR spectral regions. Concurrently, Panchromatic images are acquired at 5-meter resolution, precisely co-registered with hyperspectral data to facilitate advanced image fusion techniques.[2]
- Internal Calibration Unit (ICU): provides both absolute and relative radiometric as well as spectral calibration support.[2]
- Payload Data Handling and Transmission: employs technology derived from COSMO-SkyMed to manage payload data processing and enable X band downlink communication to the CGS located in Matera.[2]