Xiomas TBIRD (Three Band IR Detector)
Xiomas Technologies
Compact three-band thermal-infrared sensor developed for a multi-layered constellation of CubeSats, high-altitude aircraft, and stratospheric balloons for global fire and thermal monitoring.
Technical specifications
- Sensor type
- Three-band thermal-infrared (IR) detector
- Platform compatibility
- CubeSats, low-Earth polar and elliptical orbit small satellites
- Additional deployment
- High-altitude, long-endurance solar aircraft; stratospheric balloons; low-altitude aircraft
- Mission concept
- Multi-layered constellation for global high-precision measurement of fire intensity and other thermal features
- Development program
- NASA SBIR contracts, 2018-2023 (preliminary design 2018, development contract 2019, Phase II sequential work 2022-2023)
- Planned launch
- Launch to LEO by August 2026
- Related demonstration flights
- Tiny TBIRD (Summer 2024) and TBIRD (Summer 2025) flown on AeroStar Cyclone high-altitude pseudo-satellite in collaboration with NASA and Harvard University
About
TBIRD (Three Band IR Detector) is a compact, low-cost thermal-infrared imaging sensor developed by Xiomas Technologies under a series of NASA SBIR contracts (Phase I awarded 2018, further development contracts in 2019 and Phase II sequential work through 2022-2023). TBIRD miniaturizes the step-stare thermal imaging approach pioneered on the airborne Wide Area Imager (WAI) into a payload suitable for CubeSats and small satellites. The design goal is a multi-layered constellation combining three-band thermal-IR sensors in low-Earth polar and elliptical orbits with matching sensors flown on high-altitude, long-endurance solar aircraft and stratospheric balloons, plus sensors on low-altitude aircraft, to provide global, high-precision measurement of wildfire intensity and other thermal features. TBIRD has been presented to the Tactical Fire Remote Sensing Advisory Committee (TFRSAC) and is planned for launch to low Earth orbit by August 2026, following flights of related test platforms (Tiny TBIRD and TBIRD) on high-altitude pseudo-satellite aircraft.
Documentation
- 6_3_Green_TFRSACSpring2019_XiomasUpdate_on_Development_of_TBIRD_and_TMAS_Thermal_IR_Systems.pdf xiomas.com ↗
- aerostar-techrise2022-techsheet.pdf xiomas.com ↗
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