The theoretical description of a simplified end-to-end software tool for simulation of data produced by optical instruments, starting from either synthetic or airborne hyperspectral data, is described and some simulation examples of hyperspectral and panchromatic images for existing and future design instruments are also reported. High spatial/spectral resolution images with low intrinsic noise and the sensor/mission specifications are used as inputs for the simulations. The examples reported in this paper show the capabilities of the tool for simulating target detection scenarios, data quality assessment with respect to classification performance and class discrimination, impact of optical design on image quality, and 3D modelling of optical performances. The simulator is conceived as a tool (during phase 0/A) for the specification and early development of new Earth observation optical instruments, whose compliance to user’s requirements is achieved through a process of cost/performance trade-off. The Selex Galileo simulator, as compared with other existing image simulators for phase C/D projects of space-borne instruments, implements all modules necessary for a complete panchromatic and hyper spectral image simulation, and it allows excellent flexibility and expandability for new integrated functions because of the adopted IDL-ENVI software environment. 1. Introduction Hyper-spectral imaging has dramatically changed the rationale of remote sensing of the Earth relying on spectral diversity. Since the pioneering Hyperion mission launched in 2001 [1], hyper spectral imaging airborne and satellite sensors have shown their utility by obtaining calibrated data for determining a wide variety of bio- and geophysical products from the collected imagery. However, all sensors have their own set of performance characteristics, response functions, noise statistics, and so on, which determine and can challenge the validity of the generated data products. Through simulation of the sensor response, the utility of a new sensor design can be ascertained prior to construction, by running algorithms on simulated remote sensing data sets. In the case of existing well-characterised sensors the generation of simulated data assists in debugging sensor problems and provides a better understanding of a particular sensor’s performance in new operational environments. In this paper, an end-to-end Selex Galileo (SG) simulation tool developed in the ENVI-IDL [2] environment for the generation of simulated data from airborne/space-borne optical and infrared instruments, starting
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