Can you tell us about your early involvement with Fourier Transform Spectroscopy and how it impacted the development of spectrometers for use in space?

What were some of the challenges you faced, and how did the team gain confidence from customers?

At first, it was very hard to compete with large aerospace companies in the USA. They believed that they had a unique capability of designing and building reliable satellite sensors - such that they could be shot into space undergoing enormous forces and accelerations and make these subsequently work for long periods of time in orbit. It took us a long time to learn these requirements to the point that customers would have confidence in our ability. In retrospect, we did very well.

Could you describe the significance of the "Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment" mission, and how it contributed to environmental research?

How did you get into building instrumentation for weather-related missions?

We were fortunate in early-on becoming acquainted with researchers at the University of Wisconsin who were interested in developing newer and more performant instruments for weather satellites. We worked with the team under the leadership of Professor Suomi at the University of Wisconsin - historically the father of weather satellites. We supplied a spectrometer to carry out tests of weather prediction mounted under the wing of a U2 aircraft. This program of flying over specific weather systems at high altitude continues even today. The University of Wisconsin’s program developed the specifications for a new next generation satellite-based sounder which they based on our spectrometer technology. This is how we became the developer and supplier of the "Cris" infrared radiometer for the next generation US weather satellite program and eventually the Himawari-10 mission.

Can you tell us about your work on the GOSAT project for the Japanese Space Agency?

My colleague Marc-Andre Soucy and I travelled to Japan many times to convince the Japanese Environment Agency and the Japanese Space Agency to award us the contract for the spectrometer to be sent in orbit on the Japanese GOSAT mission. It was a steep learning curve for the Japanese as well as for us. The Japanese were interested in measuring the global concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane by means of solar radiation reflected from the Earth surface.

To calibrate these concentrations, we included the short wavelength oxygen, a band in the measurements. In addition, since our Japanese partners had a good quality cryogenically cooled longwave infrared detector, they asked us to include the thermal infrared spectral region as well. This was quite a challenge, requiring a Fourier Transform Spectrometer that could cover an extraordinarily wide spectral range from the visible spectrum all the way to the thermal infrared. Could we do this? We worked out the design of a Fourier Transform Spectrometer with a very wide spectral range – something that had not been done before.

After building the spectrometer we also assisted the Japanese Space Agency with the integration and testing of the system in the satellite configuration. In the end we did very well, and the satellite was launched in January 2009.