High-resolution ocean color imagery from the SeaHawk-HawkEye CubeSat mission

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Bresnahan, Philip J. and Rivero-Calle, Sara and Morrison, John and Feldman, Gene and Holmes, Alan and Bailey, Sean and Scott, Alicia and Hong, Liang and Patt, Frederick and Kuring, Norman and Rojas, Corrine and Clark, Craig and Charlick, John and Lombard, Baptiste and Gorter, Hessel and Travaglini, Roberto and Jeffrey, Hazel (2024) High-resolution ocean color imagery from the SeaHawk-HawkEye CubeSat mission. Scientific Data, 11 (1). 1246. ISSN 2052-4463 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-04076-4)

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Abstract

Here we describe the data obtained by a successful proof-of-concept initiative to launch the first ocean color imager on board a CubeSat satellite and collect research-grade imagery at severalfold higher spatial resolution than any other ocean color satellite mission. The 3U CubeSat, named SeaHawk, flew at a nominal altitude of 585 km. Its ocean color sensor, HawkEye, collected 7,471 research-grade push-broom images of 230 × 780 km2 at best-in-class 130 × 130 m2 per pixel. The sensor is built with comparatively low-cost commercial off-the-shelf optoelectronics and was designed to match NASA SeaWiFS ocean color specifications, including wavelengths, bandwidths, and signal-to-noise ratios. HawkEye’s design for ocean color remote sensing combined with its high spatial resolution make the imagery especially well-suited for coastal, estuarine, and limnological applications. Ultimately, the successful mission provided open access to a rich global dataset of calibrated and quality-controlled imagery for use in aquatic ecology and environmental change studies.

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