Introduction to important satellites in context of ENVI 4.7

3/17/2014
Important Remote
Sensing Satellites
and Sensors
Brief Description and Resolutions in
context of Envi V 4.7
Submitted By: Atiqa Ijaz Khan
Roll No: Geom-02
Submitted To: Dr. Arifa Lodhi
Subject: Environmental
Modelling and Spatial
Simulations

of 18
Institute Of Geology, University of the Punjab Session: 2013-2015
Table of Contents
1. ADS40
2. ALOS
3. ATSR
4. AVHRR
5. CARTOSAT-1
6. DMSP (NOAA)
7. ENVISAT
8. EOS
9. EROS
10. FORMOSAT-2
11. GeoEYE-1
12. IKONOS
13. IRS
14. KOMPSAT-2
15. Landsat
16. OrbView-3
17. Quick Bird
18. RapidEye-1
19. Sea WiFS
20. SPOT
21. World View

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Brief Intro to ADS40
Air-borne Digital Sensors are high-tech push-broom sensors with in-track stereo imaging
satellites. Due to its radio-metrically stable construction the ADS40 sensor is capable of
making images for cartography as well as remote sensing applications. While satellite
push-broom sensors provides resolutions ranges from 60-30 cm for mapping purposes, the
ADS40 has resolution range from 05-01 cm.
 ADS40 is designed to incorporate the benefits of both aerial camera and satellite push-
broom sensors.
 One of the reason is that, their data is on time, location, image type and resolution. And
never on fixed orbit like space-borne satellite systems.
 The other benefit is that they are free-of clouds.
 Data can be collected in near temporal windows, which is not possible with satellites.
Brief Intro to ALOS
The Japanese Earth observation satellite ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) has been
successfully launched on January 24, 2006. On October 24, nine months after orbital testing,
the satellite started to operate at full throttle. The Advanced Land Observing Satellite
"DAICHI" (ALOS) has been developed to contribute to the fields of mapping, precise regional
land coverage observation, disaster monitoring, and resource surveying. It enhances land
observation technologies acquired through the development and operation of its
predecessors, the Japanese Earth Resource Satellite-1 (JERS-1, or Fuyo) and the Advanced
Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS, or Midori).
Serial
No.
Sensors
Spectral
Range
(nm)
Spatial
Resolution
(m)
Radiometric
Resolution
Temporal
Window
01. PAN (PRISM) 480-710 2.5 08 bits 46 days

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02.
Multi-spectral
(ANVIR-2)
420-890 10 08 bits -
03.
Optical and
Radar Data
(PULSAR)
7-100 08 08 bits -
04. Series List
ALOS- 1, 2,
3
- -
05. Operational ALOS-2 - -
06. Future Mission ALOS-3 In 2016 - -
ᴥ PRISM ((Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping), ANVIR (Advanced Visible and Near Infrared
Radiometer type-), PULSAR (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar)
The ATSR (Along Track Scanning Radiometer) instruments produce infrared images of the
Earth at a spatial resolution of one kilometer. The data from these instruments is useful for
scientific studies of the land surface, atmosphere, clouds, oceans, and the cryo-sphere.
The first ATSR instrument, ATSR-1, was launched on board the European Space Agency's
(ESA), European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) in July 1991, as part of their Earth
Observation Program.
The ATSRs are designed to meet the AATSR Scientific Requirements. TSR consists of two
instruments:
 An Infra-Red Radiometer (IRR) and
 A Microwave Sounder (MWS).
Serial No. Channels Ranges (µm)
01. Visible 0.55 , 0.67
02. Near Infrared 0.87
03. Thermal IR 3.7, 11, 12
04. Reflected IR 1.6
Brief Intro to ATSR

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05. Spatial Resolution (km) 1km (IR) & 20 (Microwave)
06. Status Non-operational
The AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) is a radiation-detection imager
that can be used for remotely determining cloud cover and the surface temperature. This
scanning radiometer uses 6 detectors that collect different bands of radiation wavelengths.
The first AVHRR was a 4-channel radiometer, first carried on TIROS-N (launched October
1978). This was subsequently improved to a 5-channel instrument (AVHRR/2) that was
initially carried on NOAA-7 (launched June 1981). The latest instrument version is AVHRR/3,
with 6 channels, first carried on NOAA-15 launched in May 1998.
AVHRR data are acquired in three formats:
 High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT)
 Local Area Coverage (LAC)
 Global Area Coverage (GAC)
HRPT: Data are full resolution image data transmitted to a ground station as they are collected.
The average instantaneous field-of-view of 1.4 milli-radians yields a HRPT ground resolution
of approximately 1.1 km at the satellite nadir from the nominal orbit altitude of 833 km (517
mi).
LAC: Are full resolution data that are recorded on an on board tape for subsequent transmission
during a station overpass. The average instantaneous field-of-view of 1.4 milliradians yields a
LAC ground resolution of approximately 1.1 km at the satellite nadir from the nominal orbit
altitude of 833 km (517 mi).
GAC: Data are derived from a sample averaging of the full resolution AVHRR data. Four out
of every five samples along the scan line are used to compute one average value and the data
from only every third scan line are processed, yielding 1.1 km by 4 km resolution at the sub-
point.
Brief Intro to AVHRR

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Channel Number Resolution at Nadir (km) Spectral Range (µm)
1 1.09 0.58-0.68
2 1.09 0.725-1.00
3A 1.09 1.58-1.64
3B 1.09 3.55-3.93
4 1.09 10.30-11.30
5 1.09 11.50-12.50
CARTOSAT-1 is a state-of-the-art remote sensing satellite built by ISRO (Indian Space
Research Organization) which is mainly intended for cartographic applications in India. The
1560 kg satellite was launched by the PSLV on May 5, 2005 from the newly built second
launch pad at Sriharikota, and is the eleventh satellite to be built in the Indian Remote Sensing
(IRS) satellite series. Weighing 1560 kg at lift-off, CARTOSAT-1 is launched into a 618 km
high polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) by PSLV-C6.
Serial No. Characteristics
01. Spatial Resolution (m) 2.5
02. Temporal Window (days) 116
03. Spectral Ranges (µm) Visible & PAN
04. Series List CARTOSAT 1,2, 2A, 2B, 3
05. Operational Satellite CARTOSAT 1, 2
06. Next to Launch CARTOSAT-3 ( in 2014)
Brief Intro to CARTOSAT-1

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Since the mid-1960's, when the Department of Defense (DOD) initiated the Defense
Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), low, earth-orbiting satellites have provided the
military with important environmental information. The DMSP satellites "see" such
environmental features as clouds, bodies of water, snow, fire, and pollution in the visual and
infrared spectral.
The National Polar-orbiting Observing Satellite System (NPOESS) was a joint program of the
Department of Defense, Department of Commerce and NASA to replace less sophisticated
weather satellites that are expected to fail over the next several years. It would help develop 3-
7 day weather forecasts for civilian and military purposes, including weather like hurricanes,
tornadoes, etc. Unfortunately, the program ended up billions over budget, and 6 or more years
late.
Brief Intro to Envi-Sat
Envi-sat was ESA's successor to ERS. Envi-sat was launched in 2002 with 10 instruments
aboard and at eight tons is the largest civilian Earth observation mission.
More advanced imaging radar, radar altimeter and temperature-measuring radiometer
instruments extend ERS data sets. This was supplemented by new instruments including a
medium-resolution spectrometer sensitive to both land features and ocean color. Envi-sat also
carried two atmospheric sensors monitoring trace gases.
The Envi-sat mission ended on 08 April 2012, following the unexpected loss of contact with
the satellite.
Serial
No.
Sensors Resolution(m) Bands
01.
ASAR(Advance Synthetic
Aperture Radar)
400000 C-band
02.
MERIS(Medium Resolution
Imaging Spectrometer)
300
Spectral
Bands (15)
Brief Intro to DMSP (NOAA)

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03. Revisit Time (days) 03 -
04. Total Sensors 10 -
05. Important Sensors
AASTR, ASAR, MERIS,
RA-2, SCIAMACHY
-
06. Status Non-operational -
Earth Observation satellites vary according to the type of orbit they have, the payload they
carry, and, from the point of view of imaging instruments, the spatial resolution, spectral
characteristics and swath width of the sensors. All these parameters are designed at the
beginning of the mission definition depending on the application the satellite mission is
targeting.
Terra is a multi-national, multi-disciplinary mission involving partnerships with the aerospace
agencies of Canada and Japan. Managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the mission
also receives key contributions from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research
Center. Terra is an important part of NASA’s Science Mission, helping us better understand
and protect our home planet.
Characteristics
ASTER (Advanced Space-borne Thermal
Emission and Reflection Radiometer)
Serial No. Spectral Range
Spatial
Resolution
No. of Bands
01. Visible + IR 0.5-0.9 µm 15 m 03
02. SWIR 1.6-2.43 µm 30 m 06
03. TIR 08-12 µm 90 m 05
- - - - Total = 14
04.
Temporal
Window
16 days
05. No. of Products 8
Brief Intro to EOS (TERRA)

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Serial No. MODIS (Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer)
Spectral Range (µm) &
No. of Bands
No. of Bands &
Spatial Resolution
01. 0.4-3.0 µm 21 02 250 m
02. 3.0-14.5 µm 15 05 500 m
03. 21 1 km
04. Total No. of Bands 36 - -
05. Temporal Window 1-2 days
Brief Intro to EROS
EROS A (Earth Resources Observation Systems) is the first in a constellation of sun-
synchronous, polar-orbiting satellites that Image Sat plans to deploy during this decade. EROS
A owned by Image-Sat International, which belongs to Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and
Electro-Optics Industries of Israel.
EROS (Earth Remote Observation System) A1 was launched in December 2000 as the first
constellation of eight high-resolution imaging satellites to be launched between year 2001 and
2005. EROS satellites are high performance, low cost, light, and agile and have been designed
for low earth orbit (LEO). The satellites are owned and operated by Image-Sat International.
This Cyprus-based company was established in 1997 by a consortium of leading satellite,
sensor and information management companies and information producers around the world.
Serial
No.
Mode Spectral
Bands (µm)
Spatial
Resolution (m)
Radiometric
Resolution (bits)
Temporal
Window
01. EROS-A
(PAN)
0.50-0.90 1.8 11 1.8
02. EROS-B
(PAN)
0.50-0.90 01 08 1.8

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The first remote sensing satellite developed by National Space Organization (NSPO),
FORMOSAT-2, successfully launched on May 21, 2004 with a high resolution. The main
mission of FORMOSAT-2 is to conduct remote sensing imaging over Taiwan and on terrestrial
and oceanic regions of the entire earth. The images captured by FORMOSAT-2 during daytime
can be used for land distribution, natural resources research, forestry, environmental
protection, disaster prevention, rescue work, and other applications.
The FORMOSAT-2's Image Processing System (IPS) is independently developed by NSPO. It
is designed to process images by tasking the satellite according to the user's needs.
01.
Channels
Spatial and Spectral Resolution
Temporal
Resolution
Pan 0.45- 0.90 (µm) 08 m 1 day
Visible + IR
0.45-0.69(µm),
0.76-0.90(µm)
02 m
-
02. Radiometric Res. 08 bits -
GeoEye-1, the world’s highest-resolution commercial color imaging satellite, was launched on
September 6, 2008 from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California. The satellite offers
extraordinary detail, high accuracy and enhanced stereo for DEM generation. GeoEye-1 will
simultaneously collect panchromatic imagery at 0.41m and Multispectral imagery at 1.65m.
Due to U.S. Government Licensing, the imagery will be made available commercially as 0.5m
imagery. GeoEye-1 has the capacity to collect up to 700,000 square kilometers of panchromatic
imagery (and up to 350,000 square kilometers of Pan-Sharpened Multispectral imagery) per
day.
Brief Intro to FORMOSAT-2
Brief Intro to GeoEye-1

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Serial No Channels
Spectral Range
(nm)
Spatial
Resolution
Temporal
Window
01. PAN (450-900) 0.41 1 day
02.
Multi-spectral
+ IR
(450-695) +
(760-900)
1.65 -
03.
Radiometric
Resolution
(bits) 11 -
Brief Intro to IKONOS
IKONOS-1 was launch in April 1999, and IKONOS-2 was launch in September 1999.Its
applications include both urban and rural mapping of natural resources and of natural disasters,
tax mapping, agriculture and forestry analysis, mining, engineering, construction, and change
detection. It can yield relevant data for nearly all aspects of environmental study. IKONOS
images have also been gained by SIC (satellite imaging cooperation) for use in the media and
motion picture industries, providing aerial views and satellite photos for many areas around the
world. Its high resolution data makes an integral contribution to homeland security, coastal
monitoring and facilitates 3D Terrain analysis
01. Spatial And Spectral Resolution
Visible 3.2 m
IR 3.2 m
Pan 0.82 m
02. Radiometric Resolution 11 bits
03. Temporal Window 3 days
Brief Intro to IRS
Following the successful demonstration flights of Bhaskara 1 and Bhaskara 2 launched in 1979
and 1981, respectively, India began development of an indigenous IRS (Indian Remote Sensing

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Satellite) program to support the national economy in the areas of "agriculture water resources,
forestry and ecology, geology, water sheds, marine fisheries and coastal management". The
first two IRS spacecraft, IRS-1A (March' 1988) and IRS-1B (August, 1991) were launched by
Russian Vostok boosters from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. IRS-1A failed in 1992, while IRS-
1B continued to operate through 1999. From their 22-day repeating orbits of 905 km mean
altitude and 99 degrees inclination, the two identical IRS spacecraft hosted a trio of Linear
Imaging Self-Scanning (LISS) remote sensing COD instruments working in four spectral
bands: 0.45-0.52 µm 0.52-0.59 µm, 0.62-0.68 µm, and 0.77-0.86 µm. The 38.5-kg LISS-I
images a swath of 148 km with a resolution of 72.5 m while the 80.5-kg LISS-IIA and LISS-
IIB exhibit a narrower field-of-view (74-km swath) but are aligned to provide a composite 145-
km swath with a 3-km overlap and a resolution of 36.25 m.
Serial No. Platform Life Time Sensors
01. IRS – 1A, 1B
1A: 1988-1995
1B: 1991- 1994
LISS- 1, 2
02. IRS- 1C, 1D 1995-2000 LISS-3, WiFS, PAN
03. Resourcesat-1 2003-2008 LISS-4,5, AWiFS
Serial
No.
Spatial Resolution
(m)
Channles Spectral Ranges (µm)
LISS-1 72 Visible + IR 0.45-0.68, 0.77-0.86
LISS-2 36
LISS-3 23 Visible 0.52-0.86
50 MIR 1.55-1.70
LISS-4 5.8 Visible + NIR 0.52-0.68 , 0.77-0.86
WiFS 188 Red + NIR 0.62-0.68, 0.77-0.86
AWiFS 56-70 Green, Red, NIR,
MIR
0.52-0.68, 0.77-0.86, 1.55-
1.70

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Brief Intro to KOMPSAT-2
The Kompsat program was initiated in 1995 as a major space investment in Korea. Its objective
was the development of a national space segment in Earth observation along with an efficient
infrastructure and ground segment to provide valuable services to remote sensing users in
various fields of applications
The very high resolution satellite KOMPSAT-2 was launched on the 28th
of July 2006 and
belongs to the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). This satellite offers imagery in
black and white (panchromatic band) at a spatial resolution of 1 m and in color (multispectral
bands) across 4 bands in the visible (red, green, blue and near-infrared) at a resolution of 4 m.
Besides having a tolerated cloud cover which never exceeds 10%, KOMPSAT-2 images are
affordable.
Serial
No.
Resolution
(m)
Spectral Range
(µm)
01. PAN 01 0.50-0.90 -
02. Multi-spectral 04 0.45-0.90
Visible +
NIR
03.
Radiometric
Resolution
10 bits - -
04. Temporal Window 14 days - -
Brief Intro to Landsat
The Landsat program offers the longest continuous global record of the Earth's surface; it
continues to deliver visually stunning and scientifically valuable images of our planet.
The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by
NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have collected
information about Earth from space. The mission of the Landsat Program is to provide
repetitive acquisition of high resolution multispectral data of the Earth's surface on a global
basis. Landsat represents the only source of global, calibrated, high spatial resolution
measurements of the Earth's surface that can be compared to previous data records. The data

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from the Landsat spacecraft constitute the longest record of the Earth's continental surfaces as
seen from space. It is a record unmatched in quality, detail, coverage, and value.
Serial
No.
Name Description
01. Launching Years 1999 & 2013
02. Series List Landsat 1 – 8
03. Altitude (km) 705
04. Sensor Name ETM + (7) , OLI & TRI (8)
05. Spatial (m) and Spectral (bands) Resolutions
30 Visible
60 & 100 Thermal
15 Panchromatic
06. Spectral Range (µm)
0.45 – 12 (ETM+),0.43-1.39(OLI), 10.6-
12.5(TRI)
07. Number of bands 08 (ETM +), 09(OLI), 02 (TRI)
08. Temporal Resolution (days) 16
09.
Operational Satellites ( in
2014)
Landsat 5 (non-working MSS), 7 (non-working
SLC), 8
ᴥ OLI (Operational Land Imager), TRI (Thermal Infrared)
Brief Intro to Orb-View-3
Orb-View®
is the name of an imaging satellite series of Orbital Image Corporation
(ORBIMAGE) of Dulles, VA, an affiliate of Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The
objective of this commercial satellite series is to acquire affordable high-quality imagery of the
Earth for a variety of customers that include local governments, telecommunication companies,
architects, civil engineers, real estate managers, farmers and environmental monitoring
agencies.
Launched in 2003 by ORBIMAGE, OrbView-3 acquired an 8-kilometer-wide swath. It was
bought by Geo-Eye in 2005, who took over the operation and distribution of the satellite and

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its data. On April 23, 2007 Geo-Eye announced that its OrbView-3 satellite is permanently out
of service. Archive products are now retained at the USGS.
Serial
No.
Resolution (m)
Spectral Range
(µm)
01. PAN 01 0.50-0.90 -
02. Multi-spectral 04 0.45-0.90
Visible +
NIR
03.
Radiometric
Resolution
11 bits - -
04. Series List
OrbView-
1,2,3,4
- -
05. Sensor Name OHRIS - -
ᴥ OHRIS (Orb-View High Resolution Imaging System)
Brief Intro to Quick-Bird
Because of our relationship with Digital Globe, developer and owner of the Quick Bird Sensor,
Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC) acquires Quick Bird Satellite Imagery worldwide for our
customers seeking high-resolution, digital aerial photographs.
Quick Bird is a high resolution satellite owned and operated by Digital Globe. Using a state-
of-the-art BGIS 2000 sensor, Quick Bird collects image data to 0.61m pixel resolution degree
of detail. This satellite is an excellent source of environmental data useful for analyses
of changes in land usage, agricultural and forest climates. Quick Bird's imaging capabilities
can be applied to a host of industries, including Oil and Gas Exploration & Production
(E&P), Engineering and Construction and environmental studies
01.
Spatial And Spectral
Resolution
Visible 2.44 m
IR 2.44 m
Pan 0.61 m
03. Temporal Window 1-3 days

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04. Status Operational
Brief Intro to RapidEye-1
Rapid-Eye was successfully launched from the DNEPR-1 Rocket on August 29th, 2008 at
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Rapid-Eye built by MacDonald Dettwiler, Ltd. (MDA)
will offer image users a data source containing an unrivaled combination of large-area
coverage, frequent revisit intervals, high resolution and multispectral capabilities.
Rapid-Eye's imaging capabilities can be applied to a host of industries, including Agriculture,
Forestry, Insurance, Exploration, Power and Communication, Governments, Cartography,
Visualization, and Simulation.
The Rapid-Eye constellation of five satellites stands apart from other providers of satellite-
based geospatial information in their unique ability to acquire high-resolution, large-area image
data on a daily basis. The Rapid-Eye system collects an unprecedented 4 million square
kilometers of data per day at 6.5 meter nominal ground resolution. Each satellite measures less
than one cubic meter and weighs 150 kg (bus + payload), and has been designed for at least a
seven-year mission life. All five satellites are equipped with identical sensors and are located
in the same orbital plane. Rapid-Eye's satellites include the Red-Edge band, which is sensitive
to changes in chlorophyll content.
01. Spatial Resolution 05-6.5 m
03. Temporal Window 1-5.5 days
04. Senor Type Multi-spectral push-broom

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Brief Intro to Sea WiFS
The purpose of the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (Sea-WiFS) Project is to provide
quantitative data on global ocean bio-optical properties to the Earth science community.
Subtle changes in ocean color signify various types and quantities of marine phytoplankton
(microscopic marine plants), the knowledge of which has both scientific and practical
applications. The Sea-WiFS Project will develop and operate a research data system that will
process, calibrate, validate, archive and distribute data received from an Earth-orbiting ocean
color sensor.
01. Spatial Resolution (km) 01 (LAC), 04 (GAC)
02. Radiometric Res. (bits) 10 bits
03. Temporal Window 1 day
04. No. of bands 08
05. Spectral Range (nm) 402-885
06. Senor Type
Cross-track Rotating
Scanner
ᴥ LAC (Local Area Coverage), GAC (Global Area Coverage)
Brief Intro to SPOT
The SPOT program is a series of Earth observing satellites launched by the French Centre
National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), in cooperation with Belgium and Sweden. Since 1986,
five SPOT satellites have been launched and three are still currently operational. It is
particularly valuable for studying agriculture, deforestation, and other vegetation changes on a
broad scale. A new High Resolution Geometry or HRG imaging instrument is developed by
CNES to be carried on-board SPOT 5. The HRG instrument promises a higher ground
resolution than that of the HRV/HRVIR on SPOT 1 - 4 satellites: 5 m, and 2.5 m by
interpolation in panchromatic mode, and 10 m in all 3 spectral bands in the visible to near
infrared ranges.

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Brief Intro to World View
The WorldView-1 satellite, which launched on Sept. 18, 2007; and the WorldView-2 satellite,
which launched on Oct. 8, 2009. The company is currently building the WorldView-3 satellite,
set to launch in 2014.
The high-spatial-resolution, multispectral satellite imagery from the World-View satellites is
used for civil government mapping, land-use planning, disaster relief, exploration, defense and
intelligence, visualization and simulation environments, and navigation technology such as
Google Maps.
It is 8-band imagery in visible portion of EMR, 8 Multispectral: (red, red edge, coastal, blue,
green, yellow, near-IR1 and near-IR2) 400 nm - 1040 nm
8 SWIR: 1195 nm - 2365 nm.
Serial
No.
Satellite
No.
Channels
Resolution
(m)
Spectral
Range
(µm)
Radiometric
Range (bits)
Temporal
Window
01. Spot – 5
PAN
Visible
MIP
2.5 or 5
10
20
0.48-0.71
0.50-0.89
1.58-1.75
08 26 days
02. Spot – 4
Mono-
spectral
Visible
MIP
10
20
20
0.61-0.68
0.50-0.89
1.58-1.75
08 -
03.
Series
List
Spot-
1,2,3,4,5
- - - -
Serial
No.
Satellite
No.
Channels
Resolution
(m)
Spectral
Range
(µm)
Radiometric
Range (bits)
Temporal
Window

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01.
WorldView-
1
PAN 0.5 0.4-0.90 11
1.7-4.5
days
02.
WorldView-
2
PAN
Visible
0.5
1.84
0.45-0.80
0.
11
1.1-3.7
days
03. Series List
WorldView-
1,2,3
- - - -
04. Operational
WorldView-
1,2
- - - -
05.
Future
Mission
WorldView-
3
In 2014 - - -

Introduction to important satellites in context of ENVI 4.7

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Introduction to important satellites in context of ENVI 4.7