The history of remote sensing began in the 11th century with the invention of the camera obscura. Important developments included the first aerial photograph in 1858 from a balloon, the first satellite photographs from V-2 rockets in 1946, and the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972, which was the first Earth-observing satellite. Since then, remote sensing technology has advanced significantly, with improvements in spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution from new satellite systems.