Bernd Harnisch

European Space Research and Technology Centre

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Bernd Harnisch is a specialist in optoelectronic imaging systems for space applications, with a particular focus on real-time image correction and spacecraft navigation. His most significant contribution is the development of the Smart Pushbroom Imaging System (SMARTSCAN), which addresses a critical challenge in satellite imaging: the distortion caused by attitude instability in satellites using linear sensor arrays. His 2004 paper on airborne test results for this system, which has garnered 20 citations, demonstrates how optoelectronic image correction can compensate for these disturbances in real time, enabling high-quality imagery from satellites with only moderate attitude stability. Harnisch further validated this approach with hardware test results published in 2002. Additionally, he has explored lightweight optical correlators for real-time tracking during spacecraft docking, a technology critical for crew changes and resource delivery. Though his citation counts are modest, his work on SMARTSCAN represents a practical, hardware-based solution to a persistent problem in remote sensing, offering a path to more robust and cost-effective satellite imaging systems.