BackForwardInstrument:  FAI 

Instrument details
Acronym FAI
Full name Fast Auroral Imager
Purpose To image the auroral emission in the VIS/NIR range
Short description Imaging fluxmeter. Coaligned dual-head CCD imaging camera detectors for the VIS/NIR range 650-1100 nm and on the VIS line at 630 nm, intended to operate only over the polar regions of the orbit
Background Part of a package of instruments to study the Magnetosphere
Scanning Technique Array detectors, 126x126 (VIS) and 256x256 (NIR). Travelling cross the Magnetosphere in a highly-elliptical orbit
Resolution Perigee: 0.4 km both VIS and NIR; apogee: 4.7 km (VIS) or 2.6 km (NIR)
Coverage / Cycle Full ionosphere with sampling at 1 s (NIR) and 30 s (VIS) intervals
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency CSA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2014 to 2021
Last update: 2021-10-02
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Solar and space environment monitors
  • Space radiometer or spectrometer
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 3
  • UV spectral imagery (e.g. GEO, HEO, MEO, LEO)
  • Heliospheric imager [from GEO, HEO, MEO, LEO]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Aurora
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Heliospheric image4 - fairNo specific limitation.Viewing across the magnetosphere in the VIS, NIR and SWIR bands (400-3000 nm)
Aurora*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Observed down to Earth's surface in VIS, NIR and SWIR (400-3000 nm)