ADVANCES IN SPACEBORNE HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGERY, A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN NANO SATELLITES AND LARGE SATELLITES

The space sector's rapid growth, coupled with increased accessibility to space, has led to the popularity of miniaturized satellites known as CubeSats. These cost-effective and agile nanosatellites have gained international recognition in government, education, and private sectors. CubeSats, standardized at 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm, come in various sizes (1U, 2U, 3U, and 6U) and are preferred by the GIS/RS community for earth observation capabilities. Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Science and Technology (SAASST) in the UAE has established a CubeSat laboratory, launching the Sharjah-Sat-1 (3U+) and now embarking on the Sharjah-Sat-2 mission. Sharjah-Sat-2 is a 6U CubeSat equipped with an advanced high-definition hyperspectral camera, Hyperscape100, to enhance infrastructure projects and establish an early warning system for environmental phenomena. This paper will discuss advancements in spaceborne hyperspectral imagers, compare nanosatellites to larger satellites, highlight the Sharjah-Sat-2 project, and explore its positive impact on the GIS/RS community.