HARDWARE / PRODUCTUpdated 24 Jul 2026

Chameleon SWIR

Dragonfly Aerospace
Chameleon SWIR

The Chameleon SWIR is a specialized short-wave infrared camera designed for Earth and space exploration, capturing high-contrast images in the 1000–1750 mm spectral range.

Typed specifications37 values

Discloses 8 of 14 fields engineers filter by in this category (category median 4).

Ground sample distance (GSD)
8.7 m
at 500 km · datasheet p.1 8.7 m RAW, at 500 km
Mass
1 600 g
datasheet p.1
Envelope (L×W×H)
100 x 100 x 215 mm with rear-mounted nCCM
datasheet p.1
Swath width
11.2 km
at 500 km · datasheet p.1
Spectral bands
4
4 x SWIR bands · datasheet p.1 4 SWIR Bands (1000–1750 mm)
Supply voltage
5 V
nom. · 5V DC · datasheet p.1 5 V  |  5 V
Power consumption
7 W
max · Imaging mode (est) · datasheet p.1 5 W max · Readout mode
Data interface
LVDS
datasheet p.1 SPI TMTC Interface  |  SpaceWire  |  I2C TMTC Interface  |  SPI  +7
Operating temperature
10–30 °C
datasheet p.1
TRL
8
datasheet p.1
Camera type
SWIR
datasheet p.1
Reference altitude
500 km
datasheet p.1
Spectral range
1 000–1 750 nm
4 x SWIR bands; printed as «1000–1750 mm» · datasheet p.1
Volume
2.5 U
datasheet p.1
Survival temperature
-20–55 °C
datasheet p.1
Satellite class
CubeSat
compatible with 6U · datasheet p.1
Bit depth
8 bit
8-bit or 10-bit · datasheet p.1 10 bit 8-bit or 10-bit
On-board compression
lossless (CCSDS 122 / JPEG-LS)
J2K lossless · datasheet p.1 lossy (JPEG / JPEG 2000) J2K lossy  |  none (raw) RAW

Each value is typed with its unit and measurement condition and cites the datasheet page it was taken from. Nothing is guessed: a field that is absent here has not been published by the manufacturer. machine-extracted ✓ checked by NewSpace Market ✓ manufacturer confirmed by the manufacturer.

As published by the supplier16 lines, in the manufacturer's own wording
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km
RAW 8.7 m
Swath at 500 km
11.2 km
Mass (Including electronics)
1.6 kg
Spectral bands
4 x SWIR Bands (1000–1750 mm)
Satellite bus size
Compatible with 6U
Physical size
2.5 U (100 x 100 x 215 mm with rear-mounted nCCM)
Data format
8-bit or 10-bit
Mass storage
128 Gigabytes
Compression
RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface
LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface
SPI, I²C, CAN, RS422, RS485
Power usage
Imaging mode < 7 W (est), Readout mode < 5 W
Power supply
5 V DC
Operating temperature
+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature
-20°C to +55°C
TRL
8

About

The Chameleon SWIR is an advanced imaging payload capable of capturing detailed, high-contrast images in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This capability allows for the detection of features and substances that are invisible to standard cameras, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. The camera supports scientific, industrial, and military operations, and is specifically designed to advance both Earth and space exploration missions. It is compatible with 6U satellite bus sizes and has a physical size of 2.5U (100 x 100 x 215 mm with a rear-mounted nCCM). The camera offers flexible data formats (8-bit or 10-bit) and includes 128 Gigabytes of mass storage. Data compression options include RAW, J2K lossless, or J2K lossy. It features robust data interfaces such as LVDS and SpaceWire, and TMTC interfaces including SPI, I²C, CAN, RS422, and RS485. The Chameleon SWIR operates on a 5V DC power supply, with an estimated power usage of less than 7W in imaging mode and less than 5W in readout mode. It is designed to operate within a temperature range of +10°C to +30°C and can survive temperatures from -20°C to +55°C. The product has a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 8.

Documentation

Need the full ICD, test reports or a specific revision? Ask the supplier directly.

Source: dragonflyaerospace.com ↗

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