CAP's Advanced Technologies Group
Employing advanced technologies to perform tomorrow's missions today.
Emerging technologies continue to enhance Civil Air Patrol's capabilities. Here are some of the latest technolgies in use now by CAP:
Satellite Toolkit
Through a partnership with Analytical Graphics, Inc., CAP enjoys using AGI's Satellite Toolkit (STK) in all three of CAP's missions:
- Aerospace Education - STK is used by CAP's teacher-members in the classroom to help track the International Space Station (ISS) in orbit, as well as other classroom activities. CAP is also developing a complete STK activity booklet for schools and groups to use nationwide.
- Cadet Programs - STK is taught at the annual Advanced Technologies Academy. STK is also used at the local squadron to enhance the cadet's progression through their mandatory aerospace education program.
- Emergency Services - STK is used by CAP incident commanders and other emergency personnel to track search and rescue satellite orbits.
Airborne Digital Imaging
CAP maintains a strong nationwide capability to not only take digital images from the air and carry them back to customers, but to transmit images via satellite phone to any email or web address in the world. The process is so quick, that the receiver can often call back on the satellite phone to talk with the air crew while they are still over the target area!
Click here to find out more or to take an introductory course!
CAP D90 Photography Kit Start-up Instructions
CAP D90 Checklist and Operations Manual Version 1.3
Hyperspectral Imaging
CAP has 12 Hyperspectral Imaging Systems, called ARCHER (Airborne Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Recon).
ARCHER has three methods for finding things: signature matching (matching reflected light to spectral signatures), and anomaly detection (calculates a statistical model of all the pixels in the image to see if there is a probability that a pixel does not fit), and change detection (conducting a pixel by pixel comparison of two sorties data).
Training is offered several times a year both at National Headquarters and the National Emergency Services Academy on this system! If you are interested, contact your wing staff for details.
Click here for the ARCHER Briefing for Commanders - June 2009 - Powerpoint Format
Click here for the ARCHER Briefing for Commanders - June 2009 - Acrobat Format
Click here for the ARCHER Incident Commander Info Sheet - June 2009
