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Ball Aerospace has signed an exclusive license agreement to be the sole manufacturer of the Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (GmAPD) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) cameras for the defense and aerospace industries. The license was provided by Argo AI, which acquired the former manufacturer of the technology, Princeton Lightwave Inc. (PLI), in October 2017. Over the past 10 years PLI developed and advanced GmAPD detectors and cameras capable of detecting single photons. This detector sensitivity combined onto multi-pixel arrays enables high resolution LIDAR and communication systems, which are capable of extended range operation with significant savings to system size, weight, and power. Specific applications of this technology include target detection, acquisition, tracking, 3D mapping, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions capable of direct and coherent detection. In this work, we review the current state of this technology focusing on the three options of Geiger-mode cameras that will be manufactured by Ball Aerospace. Moreover, we present details of expected camera and detector performance (e. g. Format, Photon Detection Efficiency, Dark Count Rate, Wavelength, Timing), review production, manufacturing capabilities, and update the community on future technology paths for anticipated customer needs. Ball Aerospace will manufacture and further develop Geiger-mode LIDAR camera technology as the premier merchant supplier of advanced, large-format, single photon sensitive camera products and systems.

The Landsat 9 mission will continue the legacy of Earth remote sensing that started in 1972. The Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI 2) is one of two instruments on the Landsat 9 satellite. The OLI 2 instrument is essentially a copy of the OLI instrument flying on Landsat 8. A key element of the OLI 2 instrument is the focal plane subsystem, or FPS, which consists of the focal plane array (FPA), the focal plane electronics (FPE) box, and low-thermal conductivity cables. This paper presents design details of the OLI 2 FPS. The FPA contains 14 critically-aligned focal plane modules (FPM). Each module contains 6 visible/near-IR (VNIR) detector arrays and three short-wave infrared (SWIR) arrays. A complex multi-spectral optical filter is contained in each module. Redundant pixels for each array provide exceptional operability. Spare detector modules from OLI were recharacterized after six years of storage. Radiometric test results are presented and compared with data recorded in 2010. Thermal, optical, mechanical and structural features of the FPA will be described. Special attention is paid to the thermal design of the FPA since thermal stability is crucial to ensuring low-noise and low-drift operation of the detectors which operate at -63°C. The OLI 2 FPE provides power, timing, and control to the focal plane modules. It also digitizes the video data and formats it for the solid-state recorder. Design improvements to the FPA-FPE cables will be discussed and characterization data will be presented. The paper will conclude with the status of the flight hardware assembly and testing.

The Landsat missions are the longest continuous record of changes in the Earth's surface as seen from space. The next follow-on activity is the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The LDCM objective is to extend the ability to detect and quantitatively characterize changes on the global land surface at a scale where natural and man-made causes of change can be detected and differentiated. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) is one of two instruments on the LDCM spacecraft. OLI will produce science data for the reflective bands, which include 6 visible and near-infrared (VNIR) and 3 short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands. The OLI instrument utilizes a pushbroom design with 15.5 degree field of view. As a result, the OLI Focal Plane Array (FPA) cross track dimension is large, and the FPA is a critical technology for the success of the mission. The FPA contains 14 critically aligned Focal Plane Modules (FPM) and consists of 6916 imaging pixels in each of the 8 multi-spectral bands, and 13,832 imaging pixels in the panchromatic band. Prior to integration into the FPA, the FPMs were characterized for radiometric, spectral, and spatial performance. The Flight FPA has been built and its performance has also been characterized. In this paper, the critical attributes of the FPMs and FPA are highlighted. Detailed description of the FPM and FPA test sets are provided. The performance results that demonstrate compliance to the science mission requirements are presented.