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The Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer–3rd Generation (AVIRIS-3) is the third of the AVIRIS spectrometer facility instrument series and has higher signal-to-noise ratio performance than AVIRIS-Classic (AVIRIS-C) or AVIRIS-Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG). The core spectrometer of AVIRIS-3 is an optically fast, F/1.8 Dyson imaging spectrometer spanning a wide width (39.5-degree field of view). 

This spectrometer measures radiance from the surface and atmosphere in 7.4-nm intervals in the visible to shortwave infrared (VSWIR) spectral range from 390-2500 nm. It is extremely similar in design to the orbital Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) spectrometer. 

AVIRIS-3 started operation in 2023 and is designed to fly on a variety of aircraft platforms, including the King Air B-200, Gulfstream III, Gulfstream V, and ER-2.

Learn more about AVIRIS-3

Instrument Type

Spectrometer/Radiometer

Instrument Subtype

Imaging Spectrometer/Radiometer

Specifications

Resolution

Spatial

Variable, ranging from sub-meter to 13 meters, dependent on flight altitude; 39.5 degree field of view with 1234 cross-track elements

Spectral

284 bands; 390 to 2500 nm in approximately 7.4-nm intervals 

Temporal

200 Hz

Platforms

G-V (Gulfstream-V)

Launch Date
1997
Temporal Extent
Sept. 1, 2016 - present
Altitude
Up to 50,000 ft

Related Data Centers/Projects

ORNL DAAC

NASA's Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center specializes in data and information relevant to terrestrial biogeochemistry, ecology, and environmental processes.
AVIRIS Facility Instruments

NASA's Airborne Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) Facility Instruments project utilizes high-performance imaging spectrometers to collect high resolution hyperspectral imaging data, enabling a wide range of research and applications to identify, measure, and monitor the Earth's surface and atmosphere.

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