In 2025, Sequoia was awarded a NASA SBIR Phase II grant to continue the development of a submersible hyperspectral transmissometer (Hyper-c) in support of ocean color and biogeochemistry research. The 2-year project continues and expands upon our Phase I work effort, with the goal of developing the Hyper-c into a commercial product by 2027/2028.
Hyper-c (NASA SBIR Phase II)
More Info
Motivation:
Inherent optical properties (IOPs) describe how light interacts with the water independent of the ambient environment and have critical implications for ocean color remote sensing missions, as these properties impact the light measured by satellites monitoring ocean color. Ocean color measurements are used to produce an array of data products, from maps of chlorophyll concentration to sediment transport events, that are used to monitor and assess the health of our oceans. Given the impact that IOPs can have on the ocean-leaving light measured by satellites, it is necessary to have accurate in situ measurements of IOPs to both develop and validated data products from these satellites. As next-generation remote sensing missions, such as NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE), move from multispectral to hyperspectral, high-resolution measurements of ocean color, instrumentation for in situ IOP measurements must similarly develop new capabilities to match these measurement requirements. Historically, however, many in situ IOP sensors have been limited to single-wavelength and multispectral measurements in the visible spectrum. New instrumentation must measure across a wider spectral range, from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths, while maintaining high spectral resolution and versatility in measuring a range of water types.
Summary:
Our SBIR Phase II project is a two-year effort (08/2025-08/2027) to further develop our hyperspectral transmissometer (Hyper-c) from a TRL 4 breadboard into a commercial product. We will continue testing the sensor concept on the bench, advancing our breadboard design and performing intercomparison testing with other transmissometers. We will then design, assemble, characterize, and critically test a submersible prototype of the sensor. This includes environmental testing (temperature, pressure) and at least one field deployment to demonstrate the Hyper-c measurement capabilities. Based on outcomes of the sensor testing, we will iterate on the design and subsequently fabricate two pre-commercial Hyper-c sensors. One sensor will be delivered to NASA for evaluation while the other sensor will remain with our team for continued R&D prior to commercialization.
Timeline:
- 08/2026: Halfway point! We have completed additional testing and are in the process of building our first submersible prototype of the Hyper-c sensor.
- 09/2025: Present abstract on Hyper-c at Particles in Europe (PiE) 2025.
- 08/2025: Project officially starts!
Relevant Links:
Sequoia Press Release: Sequoia awarded NASA SBIR Phase II grant to continue hyperspectral transmissometer development!
NASA SBIR 2024 Phase II Selections: 2024 SBIR/STTR Phase II Selections
Abstract presented at Particles in Europe (PiE) 2025: Development of a New In-Situ Hyperspectral Transmissometer for Ocean IOP Closure (pp. 37-44)
Sponsor
This project was funded through NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program under contract #80NSSC25C0047. To learn more about the program, click here: NASA’s SBIR Program
Updates
08/10/2026 - Halfway point! We have continued testing our advanced sensor breadboard and are currently building our first submersible prototype. We will present new experimental results at Ocean Optics XXVII in September and additional results from development/testing of our submersible prototype at conferences later this year.Accessories
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FAQ
When will the Hyper-c be available for purchase?
The Phase II contract ends in August 2027, so hopefully sometime after that. We are targeting late 2027/early 2028 for issuing the first quotes. No quotes will be issued until the contract has been concluded.
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