Dr. Carl F. Schueler Profile

Dr. Carl F. Schueler

President

SPIE Involvement:

Author

Area of Expertise:

Visible and IR Systems , Remote Sensing , Fourier optics , Defense systems , Satellite imaging , System engineering

Websites:

Company Website

Profile Summary

MS & Ph.D. (1980) Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), University of California Santa Barbara, Howard Hughes Doctoral Fellow; BS & MS Physics & Astronomy Louisiana State University
1973 Astrophysics Professor, Planetarium Director, Troy State University
1973-75 Staff Engineer, Hughes Aircraft Company (Guided missile electronics)
1980-1991 ECE Adjunct Professor, University of California Santa Barbara
1981-1986 Senior Scientist, Hughes Aircraft Santa Barbara Research Center
1986-1988 Director, Institute for Technology Development Space Remote Sensing Center, Stennis Space Center
1988-1997 Manager New Business, Hughes Aircraft Santa Barbara Research Center
1997-2006 Principal Engineering Fellow, Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing
1996-2002 Technical Director, Visible Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) (Patented constant resolution)
2001-2006 Technical Director, Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor (APS)
2007-2012 Technical lead, Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP) unsolicited proposal, CHIRP Chief Scientist, Orbital Sciences Corporation
2013 President Schueler Consulting, Santa Barbara

Publications (18)

Proceedings Article | 19 September 2016 Paper

Paper

SeaHawk CubeSat system engineering

Carl Schueler, Alan Holmes

Proceedings Volume 9977, 99770A (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2242298

KEYWORDS: Systems engineering, Sensors, Signal to noise ratio, Spatial resolution, Ocean optics, Space operations, Interfaces, Imaging systems, Optics manufacturing, Standards development

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Proceedings Article | 19 September 2016 Presentation + Paper

Presentation + Paper

HawkEye: CubeSat SeaWiFS update

Carl Schueler, Alan Holmes

Proceedings Volume 9978, 99780H (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2237374

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Spatial resolution, Signal to noise ratio, Charge-coupled devices, Optics manufacturing, Optical filters, Ocean optics, Image resolution, Satellites, Space operations

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Proceedings Article | 19 September 2016 Paper

Paper

System engineering of the visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS): improvements in imaging radiometry enabled by innovation driven by requirements

Jeffery Puschell, Philip Ardanuy, Carl Schueler

Proceedings Volume 9977, 997703 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2242302

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Infrared imaging, Spatial resolution, MODIS, Calibration, Imaging systems, Infrared radiation, Infrared telescopes, Radiometry, Image resolution

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Proceedings Article | 23 October 2012 Paper

Paper

FD-CHIRP: hosted payload system engineering lessons

Carl Schueler

Proceedings Volume 8516, 851607 (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.942539

KEYWORDS: Space operations, Sensors, Satellites, Infrared sensors, Systems engineering, Satellite communications, Infrared radiation, Medium wave, Transponders, Interfaces

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Proceedings Article | 23 October 2012 Paper

Paper

Expected performance of the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) without detector sample aggregation

John Steele, Jeffery Puschell, Carl Schueler, Shawn Miller, Kerry Grant, Thomas Lee

Proceedings Volume 8516, 851606 (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.942635

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Spatial resolution, Space operations, Satellites, Infrared imaging, Imaging systems, Radiometry, Clouds, Image sensors, Aerosols

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Proceedings Article | 12 August 2009 Paper

Paper

Satellite-instrument system engineering best practices and lessons

Carl Schueler

Proceedings Volume 7458, 745807 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.829262

KEYWORDS: Systems engineering, Satellites, Staring arrays, Sensors, MODIS, Telescopes, Calibration, Imaging systems, Radiometry, Alternate lighting of surfaces

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Proceedings Article | 25 August 2008 Paper

Paper

A standardized interface and accommodation methodology for commercially hosted payloads on the StarBus

Phillip Kalmanson, Carl Schueler, Michael Do, Quang Lam

Proceedings Volume 7087, 70870R (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.801064

KEYWORDS: Space operations, Satellites, Satellite communications, Sensors, Interfaces, RF communications, Stars, Standards development, Remote sensing, Antennas

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Proceedings Article | 25 August 2008 Paper

Paper

Commercial solution for ocean color: SeaWiFS-2 rideshare with GeoEye-2

M. Gregory Hammann, Jeffery Puschell, Carl Schueler

Proceedings Volume 7087, 70870Q (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.800772

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Climatology, Satellites, Environmental sensing, Calibration, Scanners, MODIS, Climate change, Carbon, Quality measurement

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Proceedings Article | 25 August 2008 Paper

Paper

Image quality vs. sensitivity: fundamental sensor system engineering

Carl Schueler

Proceedings Volume 7087, 708708 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.800922

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Signal to noise ratio, Modulation transfer functions, Image quality, Spatial resolution, Spatial frequencies, Interference (communication), Thermography, Alternate lighting of surfaces, Point spread functions

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Proceedings Article | 1 September 2006 Paper

Paper

Simultaneous overpass off Nadir (SOON): a method for unified calibration/validation across IEOS and GEOSS system of systems

Philip Ardanuy, Bill Bergen, Allen Huang, Gene Kratz, Jeff Puschell, Carl Schueler, Joe Walker

Proceedings Volume 6301, 630101 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.682890

KEYWORDS: Satellites, Calibration, Sensors, MODIS, Environmental sensing, Meteorological satellites, Reflectivity, Space operations, Clouds, Earth observing sensors

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Proceedings Article | 20 January 2005 Paper

Paper

Mars exploration via thermal emission spectroscopy

Carl Schueler, Karl Blasius, Philip Christensen, Steven Silverman, Steven Ruff, Michael Wyatt, Greg Mehall, Richard Peralta, Duane Bates

Proceedings Volume 5655, (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.582763

KEYWORDS: Mars, Spectroscopy, Remote sensing, Imaging systems, Magnesium, Minerals, Spatial resolution, Visible radiation, Hematite, Planets

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Arizona State University (ASU), and Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) Santa Barbara Remote Sensing (SBRS) have executed a series of successful Mars exploration missions. These have recently been publicized on television and the internet with the early 2004 Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission geological robots that have revolutionized our detailed knowledge of the planet's geology and atmosphere. This latest mission success has its foundation in missions dating back to 1969. Over the past thirty-five years NASA has demonstrated a long-term commitment to planetary science and solar system exploration that continues with a commitment recently expressed by President Bush and codified in a reorganization of the NASA space sciences mission directorate. This paper reports on a small but exciting aspect of this sweeping NASA program, and illustrates the benefits and efficiency with which planetary and solar system exploration can be accomplished. Key in the success is the vision not only of NASA in general, but of the mission Principal Investigator, in particular. The specific series of missions leading to MER contains an underlying vision of carefully planned geological investigations using remote sensing instrumentation, starting with broad survey, leading to more finely resolved global imaging, and finally to landing instrumentation capable of detailed rock and soil analyses. The mission started with broad and relatively coarse spatial resolution orbital surveys with fine spectral capability focused on identifying the overall geological and atmospheric character of the planet accomplished from 1996 to the present conducted by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES). This led to the more detailed global imaging at finer spatial resolution offered by the Mars 2001 Odyssey Mission Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) which identified specific landing sites of interest for detailed exploration. The mission culminated in the recent MER lander geological analyses conducted by the mini-TES instruments carried by the rovers. This series of remote sensing investigations has set the stage for a new era in solar system exploration.

Proceedings Article | 5 January 2005 Paper

Paper

NPOESS VIIRS: dramatically improved operational capability

Thomas Lee, Steven Miller, Carl Schueler, Jeffrey Hawkins, F. Joseph Turk, Kim Richardson, John Kent

Proceedings Volume 5658, (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.579019

KEYWORDS: MODIS, Signal to noise ratio, Sensors, Spatial resolution, Satellites, Performance modeling, Thermal modeling, Radiometry, Imaging systems, Infrared telescopes

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Proceedings Article | 2 February 2004 Paper

Paper

Post-CDR NPOESS VIIRS sensor design and performance

Tanya Scalione, Hilmer Swenson, Frank De Luccia, Carl Schueler, John Clement, Lane Darnton

Proceedings Volume 5234, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.514299

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Signal to noise ratio, Sensor performance, Performance modeling, MODIS, Black bodies, Calibration, Staring arrays, Diffusers, Ray tracing

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Proceedings Article | 9 April 2003 Paper

Paper

NPOESS VIIRS: next-generation polar-orbiting atmospheric imager

Carl Schueler, John Clement, Shawn Miller, Peter Kealy, Philip Ardanuy, Stephen Cota, Frank De Luccia, John Haas, Stephen Mango, Kenneth Speidel, Hilmer Swenson

Proceedings Volume 4891, (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.467564

KEYWORDS: Sensors, MODIS, Long wavelength infrared, Staring arrays, Clouds, Computer aided design, Calibration, Imaging systems, Space telescopes, Telescopes

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A new era in atmospheric remote sensing will begin with the launch of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) spacecraft in 2006, and the multiple operational NPOESS launches in sun-synchronous orbital planes (nominally 13:30, 17:30, or 21:30 local equatorial crossing times) starting in 2009. Cloud and atmosphere polar-orbiting environmental satellite data will be profoundly improved in radiometric quality, spectral coverage, and spatial resolution relative to current operational civilian and military polar-orbiting systems. The NPOESS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) will provide Environmental Data Records (EDRs) for day and night atmosphere and cloud operational requirements, as well as sea surface temperature (SST) and many important land EDRs by ground processing of raw data records (RDRs) from the VIIRS sensor. VIIRS will replace three currently operating sensors: the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Line-scanning System (OLS), the NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), and the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS Terra and Aqua) MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This paper describes the VIIRS all-reflective 22-band single-sensor design, following the Critical Design Review (CDR) in Spring 2002. VIIRS provides low noise (driven by ocean color for the reflective visible and near-IR spectral bands and by SST for the emissive mid and long-wave IR spectral bands), excellent calibration and stability (driven by atmospheric aerosol and cloud EDRs, as well as SST), broad spectral coverage, and fine spatial resolution driven by the cloud imagery EDR. In addition to improved radiometric, spectral, and spatial performance, VIIRS features DMSP OLS-like near-constant resolution, global twice-daily coverage in each orbit plane, and direct heritage to proven design innovations from the successful Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Earth Observing System (Terra and Aqua) MODIS.

Proceedings Article | 24 September 2002 Paper

Paper

Use of CAIV techniques to build advanced VIIRS approaches for NPOESS key EDRs

Philip Ardanuy, Carl Schueler, Shawn Miller, Ken Jensen, William Emery

Proceedings Volume 4814, (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.453740

KEYWORDS: MODIS, Sensors, Soil science, Spatial resolution, Long wavelength infrared, Imaging systems, Radiometry, Mid-IR, Infrared radiation, Microwave radiation

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The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Visible and Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) has responsibility for 23 Environmental Data Recrods (EDRs), three of them key NPOESS EDRs of highest value to opertional users: Imagery, Sea Surface Temrpature (SST), and Soil Moisture (primary EDR from the NPOESS conical microwave imager/sounder [CMIS]). The VIIRS design was guided by a set of government requirements priorities, which were topped by key EDR performance. Taking advantage of the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Sea-viewing Wide Field Sensor (SeaWiFs) heritage, Raytheon's challenge was to optimize VIIRS system performance using Cost As Independent Variable (CAIV) analyses. The SST key EDR solution combines the traditional long-wave infrared (LWIR) split window with a second split window in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) 3-4 μm region to offer a globally robust "dual split-window" SST algorithm operable daytime and nighttime with a precision of 0.25 K, and an overall uncertainty of 0.35 K (intermediate objective) across the entire SST measurement range. This capability was recently validated by the heritage MODIS on NASA's Terra satellite. The imagery key EDR solution permits superb multi-spectral detection and discrimination of cloud presence and type MODIS. The soil moisture solution is a cross-sensor fusion approach that combines the finer spatial resolution of VIIRS with traditional coarse resolution microwave-derived soil moisture retrievals to achieve objectives under open and partially vegetated scenes. This paper briefly describes the VIIRS sensor design, the key EDR performance, and the CAIV design process with three specific hardware and EDR tradeoff exmaples. Finally, the paper concludes with a description of the key risk-reduction design processes that led to a relativley low-risk (for advanced space-borne hardware programs) developmental design, which is now approaching hardware realization.

Proceedings Article | 18 January 2002 Paper

Paper

NPOESS VIIRS sensor design overview

Carl Schueler, John Clement, Philip Ardanuy, Carol Welsch, Frank DeLuccia, Hilmer Swenson

Proceedings Volume 4483, (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.453451

KEYWORDS: Sensors, MODIS, Calibration, Long wavelength infrared, Imaging systems, Staring arrays, Space telescopes, Telescopes, Signal to noise ratio, Clouds

Read Abstract +

A new era in remote sensing will begin with the launch of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environment Satellite Systems (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) spacecraft in 2005, and the multiple operational NPOESS launches in sun-synchronous orbital planes (nominally 13:30, 17:30, or 21:30 local equatorial crossing times) starting in 2008. Users of polar-orbiting environmental satellite data will see a profound improvement in the radiometric quality, spectral coverage, and spatial resolution of routinely available visible and infrared data relative to current operational civilian and military polar-orbiting systems. The improved data will be provided by the NPOESS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). VIIRS will provide Environmental Data Records (EDRs) to meet civilian and national defense operational requirements, including day and night cloud imagery, sea surface temperatures (SST), and ocean color. EDRs will be produced by ground processing of raw data records (RDRS) from the VIIRS sensor. VIIRS will replace three currently operating sensors: the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Line- scanning System (OLS), the NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), and the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS Terra and Aqua) MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This paper describes the VIIRS all-reflective 22-band single-sensor design. VIIRS provides low noise (driven by ocean color for the reflective visible and near-IR spectral bands and by SST for the emissive mid and long-wave IR spectral), excellent calibration and stability (driven by aerosol, cloud, and SST), broad spectral coverage, and fine spatial resolution driven by the imagery EDR. In addition to improved radiometric, spectral, and spatial performance, VIIRS features DMSP OLS-like near- constant resolution, global twice-daily coverage in each orbit plane, and direct heritage to proven design innovations from the successful Sea-viewing Wide Field-of- view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Earth Observing System (Terra) MODIS.

Proceedings Article | 18 January 2002 Paper

Paper

NPOESS VIIRS design process

Philip Ardanuy, Carl Schueler, Shawn Miller, Peter Kealy, Stephen Cota, Mike Haas, Carol Welsch

Proceedings Volume 4483, (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.453461

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Computer aided design, Clouds, Remote sensing, MODIS, Imaging systems, Data modeling, Computer simulations, Environmental sensing, RGB color model

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Proceedings Article | 20 October 1999 Paper

Paper

Miniature thermal emission spectrometer for Mars 2001 Lander

Steven Silverman, Duane Bates, Carl Schueler, Bill O'Donnell, Phil Christensen, Greg Mehall, Tom Tourville, George Cannon

Proceedings Volume 3756, (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.366418

KEYWORDS: Mars, Magnesium, Mirrors, Spectroscopy, Sensors, Fourier transforms, Minerals, Interferometers, Remote sensing, Spatial resolution

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Showing 5 of 18 publications

Conference Committee Involvement (20)

Earth Observing Systems XXII

6 August 2017 | San Diego, California, United States

Remote Sensing System Engineering VI

1 September 2016 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XXI

30 August 2016 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XX

10 August 2015 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XIX

18 August 2014 | San Diego, California, United States

Remote Sensing System Engineering V

18 August 2014 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XVIII

27 August 2013 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XVII

13 August 2012 | San Diego, California, United States

Remote Sensing System Engineering IV

12 August 2012 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XVI

23 August 2011 | San Diego, California, United States

Remote Sensing System Engineering III

2 August 2010 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XV

2 August 2010 | San Diego, California, United States

Remote Sensing System Engineering II

4 August 2009 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XIV

3 August 2009 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XIII

11 August 2008 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XII

26 August 2007 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems XI

14 August 2006 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems X

31 July 2005 | San Diego, California, United States

Earth Observing Systems IX

4 August 2004 | Denver, Colorado, United States

Earth Observing Systems VIII

3 August 2003 | San Diego, California, United States

Showing 5 of 20 Conference Committees

Course Instructor

NON-SPIE: Fundamentals of Imaging

Entertaining one-day workshop introducing the fundametals of imaging including basic optics and the relationships between optical systems and focal plane specifications. Math limited to simple arithmetic and algebra, yet introduces and explains advanced concepts of diffraction point spread function, spatial frequency and modulation transfer function as well as basic radiometry including signal-to-noise ratio and the basic tradeoffs between radiometric sensitivity and spatial resolution.

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NON-SPIE: FPA Specification and Analysis

One-day workshop for focal-plane and optical engineers introducing fundamentals of focal plane array (FPA) specification, analysis and testing. Basic radiometric principles leading to calculation of electrical signal from optical radiance lead to explanation of signal and noise specification methodology and testing techniques. Example testing protocol includes demonstration of data collection, processing, and evaluation to measure signal and noise characteristics of an MWIR area FPA. Testing procedure to measure FPA Modulation Transfer Function via measurement of the Line Spread Function is described and demonstrated.

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