title: APEX - the Hyperspectral ESA Airborne Prism Experiment.
abstract: The airborne ESA-APEX (Airborne Prism Experiment) hyperspectral mission simulator is described with its distinct specifications to provide high quality remote sensing data. The concept of an automatic calibration, performed in the Calibration Home Base (CHB) by using the Control Test Master (CTM), the In-Flight Calibration facility (IFC), quality flagging (QF) and specific processing in a dedicated Processing and Archiving Facility (PAF), and vicarious calibration experiments are presented. A preview on major applications and the corresponding development efforts to provide scientific data products up to level 2/3 to the user is presented for limnology, vegetation, aerosols, general classification routines and rapid mapping tasks. BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) issues are discussed and the spectral database SPECCHIO (Spectral Input/Output) introduced. The optical performance as well as the dedicated software utilities make APEX a state-of-the-art hyperspectral sensor, capable of (a) satisfying the needs of several research communities and (b) helping the understanding of the Earth's complex mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Klaus I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Itten
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dell'Endice
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hueni
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kneubühler
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schläpfer
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Odermatt
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jürg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schopfer
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kellenberger
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bühler
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Odorico
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nieke
authors.affiliation: Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich - Irchel ,Winterhurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.affiliation: VITO - Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Boeretang, 200 B-2400 Mol, Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meuleman
keywords: Hyperspectral; imaging spectrometer; pushbroom