STARS Team Kicks Off Multispectral Camera Testing

The STARS Team at MKII Aerospace has officially started multispectral camera testing — and we’re pretty excited about it.

If you haven’t heard of STARS before, think of it as our “eyes on the sky” project: a platform focused on capturing, analyzing, and understanding the world above us using advanced imaging and sensing tools. Multispectral cameras are a huge part of that vision, and this new testing phase is a big milestone for the team.

So.. what is a multispectral camera?

In simple terms, a multispectral camera doesn’t just see what your eyes see.

A normal camera captures light in the visible spectrum (the reds, greens, and blues we’re used to). A multispectral camera captures multiple “bands” of light — including ones outside of the visible range, like near-infrared.

Why does that matter? Because different materials and surfaces reflect light differently across these bands. That means we can:

• Spot details the human eye would completely miss

• Detect changes in vegetation, water, clouds, and surfaces

• Improve tracking, navigation, and scientific observation

• Support both Earth observation and aerospace testing missions

For STARS, multispectral imaging is a core tool for better situational awareness — whether we’re looking at the night sky, the horizon, or the ground.

What this testing phase looks like

Right now, the STARS Team is focused on shaking down our first multispectral setups and learning how they behave in the real world. That includes:

• Sensor integration:
  Getting the cameras talking nicely with our existing hardware and software — mounts, controllers, and data pipelines.

• Calibration and tuning:
  Dialing in exposure, gain, and focus across multiple bands so we’re getting useful, repeatable data instead of just “pretty pictures.”

• Test scenarios:
  Running tests in different conditions — day vs. night, clear vs. hazy, urban glow vs. dark-sky environments — to see how the system performs.

• Data handling & processing:
  Making sure we can store, organize, and process the incoming data efficiently so we can analyze it later without digging through chaos.

In true MKII fashion, there’s a lot of iteration, note-taking, and “okay, that was cool… let’s improve it” energy behind the scenes.

Why this matters for MKII Aerospace

Multispectral imaging ties into a lot of what we’re building as a company:

• Aerospace testing & R&D
  We can use these cameras to monitor flights, track rockets or UAVs, and study exhaust plumes, contrails, and other flight signatures in multiple bands.

• Environmental and remote sensing
  From monitoring vegetation health to checking shorelines and waterways, multispectral data opens the door to serious science and mission support.

• Navigation, tracking, and safety
  Different bands can highlight objects or features that might be hard to see in standard visible light. That’s a big deal for autonomy and situational awareness.

This isn’t just “cool tech” for the sake of it — it’s a capability that plugs directly into where MKII Aerospace is heading: smarter vehicles, better data, and more advanced mission profiles.

What’s next for the STARS Team

As testing ramps up, here’s what’s on the roadmap:

• Building repeatable test profiles so we can compare results over time

• Experimenting with different lenses and filters to find the best combinations for sky, horizon, and ground imaging

• Integrating the multispectral feeds into live display and analysis tools

• Laying the groundwork for future field deployments with our rockets, UAVs, and ground stations

Over time, the goal is to turn STARS into a powerful, modular observation and tracking platform that can support multiple MKII projects — from sounding rockets to long-endurance UAV missions.

Follow along with the journey

This is just the beginning of the multispectral chapter for the STARS Team. As we refine the system, expect more:

• Test logs and breakdowns

• Sample imagery and comparisons between different bands

• Behind-the-scenes looks at how we mount, calibrate, and run the gear

If you’re into aerospace, sensing, imaging, or just love seeing new tools come to life, this is going to be a fun one to follow.