Small but capable, Ball’s CIRiS instrument will observe the Earth from a spacecraft no larger than a shoebox. The miniaturized instrument weighs only 1.4 kg (3 lb); due to its small size and weight, the cost of launch is substantially reduced, contributing to lower overall mission costs.  

CIRiS collects highly calibrated infrared images of land and ocean surfaces. Ball began CIRiS development with an aircraft-mounted instrument, adapting it for the special challenges of the space environment and operation on a 6U CubeSat. CIRiS uses carbon nanotube calibration sources to perform on-orbit calibration from a much smaller platform than previously possible. A state-of-the-art uncooled infrared imaging detector enables greater sensitivity without active cooling, eliminating power requirements and weight from the system.

Funded by the NASA InVEST (In space Validation of Earth Science Technology) program, the mission objective is to demonstrate new CubeSat-compatible technologies enabling Earth observation for scientific applications. CIRiS implements this goal by using its innovative technologies for accurate calibration, on the ground, and in-orbit.