Abstract.For the detection and identification of hydrocarbons and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) conceptual design of a compact hyperspectral instrument with high spatial and spectral resolution was developed. This paper presents the calculation of the optical thickness of the medium ranges and an evaluation of the measurement uncertainty for the different spectral windows of atmospheric transparency. The optical system, the analytical design and calculation of energy, and the algorithm for selecting optimal parameters for the system were developed on the framework of the Offner scheme.