Remote sensing satellite and data overview

A variety of remote sensing systems exist, for which the specification is distributed among a variety of websites from data providers, satellite operators and manufacturers. In order to choose a data product for a given project, a remote sensing data user must be aware of the different products and their applications. The table below gives users an overview of major remote sensing systems and datasets and summarizes their applications.

Summary Table

Data Product	Provider	Orbital Height	Spatial Resolution	Swath Width	Pass Over Time	Date Range of Acquisition	Spectral Coverage	Access and Restrictions	Data Use	Sources
Landsat 5 TM	NASA/USGS	705 km Sun-synchronous	30 m 120 m	185 km	Every 16 days Equator at ~09h45 (local time)	since March 1, 1984 Note: First Landsat Mission in 1972	B1: 0.45-0.52 µm (30 m) B2: 0.52-0.60 µm (30 m) B3: 0.63-0.69 µm (30 m) B4: 0.76-0.90 µm (30 m) B5: 1.55-1.75 µm (30 m) B6: 10.4-12.5 µm (120 m) (IR) B7: 2.08-2.35 µm (30 m)	Free access, use and redistribution;	oceanography, aerosols, bathymetry, vegetation types, peak vegetation, biomass content analysis, moisture analysis, thermal mapping, mineral deposit identification	[1][2]
Landsat 7 ETM+	NASA/USGS	705 km Sun-synchronous	15 m 30 m 60 m	183 km	Every 16 days Equator at ~10h00 (local time)	since April 15, 1999	B1: 0.45-0.515 µm (30 m) B2: 0.525-0.605 µm (30 m) B3: 0.63-0.69 µm (30 m) B4: 0.75-0.90 µm (30 m) B5: 1.55-1.75 µm (30 m) B6: 10.4-12.5 µm (60 m) B7: 2.09-2.35 µm (30 m) B8: 0.52-0.9 µm (15 m)	Free access, use and redistribution;	oceanography, aerosols, bathymetry, vegetation types, peak vegetation, biomass content analysis, moisture analysis, thermal mapping, mineral deposit identification	[1][2]
Landsat 8 ^OLI (B1-B9) TIRS (B10-B11)	NASA/USGS	705 km Sun-synchronous	15 m 30 m 60 m 100 m	185 km	Every 16 days Equator at ~10h00 (local time)	since February 11, 2013	B1: 0.433–0.453 µm (30 m) B2: 0.450–0.515 µm (30 m) B3: 0.525–0.600 µm (30 m) B4: 0.630–0.680 µm (30 m) B5: 0.845–0.885 µm (30 m) B6: 1.560–1.660 µm (60 m) B7: 2.100–2.300 µm (30 m) B8: 0.500–0.680 µm (15 m) B9: 1.360–1.390 µm (30 m) B10: 10.6-11.2 µm (100 m) (IR) B11: 11.5-12.5 µm (100 m) (IR)	Free access, use and redistribution;	oceanography, aerosols, bathymetry, vegetation types, peak vegetation, biomass content analysis, moisture analysis, cloud cover analysis, thermal mapping, soil moisture estimation	[1][2][3]
AVHRR/3 ^Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer	NOAA/USGS	830–870 km Sun-synchronous	1090 m	833 km	Twice daily; entire planet	since May 1998 AVHRR/1 (1978) AVHRR/2 (1981; continuous data since 1981)	B1: 0.58 - 0.68 µm (1.09 km) B2: 0.725 - 1.00 µm (1.09 km) B3A: 1.58 - 1.64 µm (1.09 km) B3B: 3.55 - 3.93 µm (1.09 km) B4: 10.30 - 11.30 µm (1.09 km) B5: 11.50 - 12.50 µm (1.09 km)	Free access, use and redistribution;	cloud and surface mapping, land-water bounds, recognition of snow and ice, sea surface temperatures and cloud cover analysis at night	[4][5][6]
MODIS ^Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer	NASA	705 km Sun-synchronous	250 m (B1-B2) 500 m (B3-B7) 1000 m (B8-B36)	2330 km	Daily; equator at ~10h30 and 13h30 (local time)	Terra: December 18, 1999 Aqua: May 4, 2002	B1: 620 - 670 nm B2: 841 - 876 nm B3: 459 - 479 nm B4: 545 - 565 nm B5: 1230 - 1250 nm B6: 1628 - 1652 nm B7: 2105 - 2155 nm B8: 405 - 420 nm B9: 438 - 448 nm B10: 483 - 493 nm B11: 526 - 536 nm B12: 546 - 556 nm B13: 662 - 672 nm B14: 673 - 683 nm B15: 743 - 753 nm B16: 862 - 877 nm B17: 890 - 920 nm B18: 931 - 941 nm B19: 915 - 965 nm B20: 3.660 - 3.840 µm B21: 3.929 - 3.989 µm B22: 3.929 - 3.989 µm B23: 4.020 - 4.080 µm B24: 4.433 - 4.498 µm B25: 4.482 - 4.549 µm B26: 1.360 - 1.390 µm B27: 6.535 - 6.895 µm B28: 7.175 - 7.475 µm B29: 8.400 - 8.700 µm B30: 9.580 - 9.880 µm B31: 10.780 - 11.280 µm B32: 11.770 - 12.270 µm B33: 13.185 - 13.485 µm B34: 13.485 - 13.785 µm B35: 13.785 - 14.085 µm B36: 14.085 - 14.385 µm	Free access, use and redistribution;	aerosols, land and cloud boundaries and properties, ocean biology, biogeochemistry, atm. water vapour, sea surface and atmospheric temperature, cloud analysis	[7][8]
QuickBird	Digital Globe	482 km 450 km Sun-synchronous	65 cm B/W 2.62 m RGBiR 61 cm B/W 2.44 m RGBiR	16.8 km – 18 km	Every 2.4-5.9 days, equator at 10h30 (local time)	since October 18, 2001	B/W: 405-1053 nm R: 430 - 545 nm G: 466 - 620 nm B: 590 - 710 nm NIR: 715 - 918 nm	Data needs to be purchased from DigitalGlobe or a commercial reseller; if imagery is not available in archive, special request can be made	mapping, change detection, planning (engineering, natural resources, urban, infrastructure), land-use, EIA, tourism, military, crop management, environmental monitoring	[9][10][11]
GOES ^Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite	NOAA	35 790 km Geostationary	1 km 4 km 8 km	Pacific Ocean, Americas and Atlantic (160°E to 20°W)	captures and sends data at various intervals; up to 8 per hour in the Continental US	First Mission 1978	B1 (Visible) (1 km) B2 (Shortwave) (4 km) B3 (Moisture) (8 km (4 km GOES 12/13/14/15)) B4 (Longwave 1) (4 km) B5 and 6 (Longwave 2) (4 km) GOES also has remote sensing equipment to detect space weather.	Free access, use and redistribution;	weather tracking, water vapour analysis, meteorology and atmospheric science	[12][13][14]
Ikonos	Digital Globe	681 km Sun-synchronous	80 cm B/W 3.2 m RBGiR	11.3 km	every 3 days	launch September 24, 1999	B/W: 445-900 nm B: 445-516 nm G: 506-595 nm R: 632-698 nm NiR: 757-853 nm	Data needs to be purchased from DigitalGlobe or a commercial reseller; if imagery is not available in archive, special request can be made	mapping, change detection, planning (engineering, natural resources, urban, infrastructure), land-use, EIA, tourism, military, crop management, environmental monitoring	[11][15]
SPOT ^Satellite pour l’Observation de la Terre	EADS Astrium	694 km Sun-synchronous	2.5 m 5 m 10 m 20 m	60 km	every 1–3 days	SPOT1 launched in 1986 SPOT6 launched in 2012	B/W: 0.450-0.745 µm R: 0.625-0.695 µm G: 0.530-0.590 µm B: 0.450-0.520 µm NiR: 0.760-0.890 µm	Data needs to be purchased from EADS Astrium; if imagery is not available in archive, special request can be made	mapping, change detection, planning (engineering, natural resources, urban, infrastructure), land-use, EIA, tourism, military, crop management, environmental monitoring	[11][16][17]
RADARSAT	Canadian Space Agency MDA	RADARSAT1 793–821 km RADARSAT-2 798 km RADARSAT Constellation 592,7 km	8–100 m 3x1m–100x100m 3x1m–100x100m	45–500 km 18–500 m 5-500 km	14 (14,92 Constellation) orbits per day; at equator: 6h00 and 18h00 (local)	RADARSAT 1 launched on November 4, 1995 RADARSAT 2 launched on December 14, 2007 RADARSAT Constellation to be launched in 2018	Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)	Data needs to be purchased from MDA for commercial purposes; available for research through the SOAR partnership from MDA and the Government of Canada	environmental monitoring, ice monitoring, marine surveillance, disaster management, hydrology, mapping, geology, agriculture and forestry	[18][19]
ASTER ^Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer	NASA Government of Japan	705 km Sun-synchronous	15–90 m	60 km	Daily; equator at ~10h30 (local)	since December 18, 1999 (on Terra)	B1: 0.520–0.600 µm (15 m) B2: 0.630–0.690 µm (15 m) B3: 0.760–0.860 µm (15 m) B4: 0.760–0.860 µm (15 m) B5: 1.600–1.700 µm (30 m) B6: 2.145–2.185 µm (30 m) B7: 2.185–2.225 µm (30 m) B8: 2.235–2.285 µm (30 m) B9: 2.295–2.365 µm (30 m) B10: 2.360–2.430 µm (30 m) B11: 8.125–8.475 µm (90 m) B12: 8.475–8.825 µm (90 m) B13: 8.925–9.275 µm (90 m) B14: 10.250–10.950 µm (90 m) B15: 10.950–11.650 µm (90 m)	Data needs to be purchased for commercial purposes; Educational use and NASA-supported research permitted	vegetation, ecosystem dynamics, hazard and disaster monitoring, change detection, earth science, land cover analysis	[20][21][22]

Sources

1. NASA. Technical Details. Landsat Science. [Online] September 18, 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/?p=5081.
2. USGS. Frequently Asked Questions about the Landsat Missions. USGS Landsat Missions. [Online] August 29, 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://landsat.usgs.gov/tools_faq.php.
3. —. Landsat 8. [Online] 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3060/pdf/fs2013-3060.pdf.
4. —. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Sensor Characteristics. Global Land 1-KM AVHRR Project. [Online] June 23, 2008. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://edc2.usgs.gov/1KM/avhrr_sensor.php.
5. NOAA. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer - AVHRR. NOAA Satellite Information System. [Online] March 28, 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://noaasis.noaa.gov/NOAASIS/ml/avhrr.html.
6. United States Department of the Interior. AVHRR. National Atlas. [Online] January 14, 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/mapping/a_avhrr.html.
7. NASA. Specifications. MODIS Web. [Online] [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/about/specifications.php.
8. USGS/NASA. MODIS Overview. LP DAAC. [Online] August 19, 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/products/modis_overview.
9. Satellite Imaging Corporation. QuickBird Satellite Imagery and Satellite System Specifications. Satellite Imaging Corporation. [Online] 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://www.satimagingcorp.com/satellite-sensors/quickbird.html.
10. DigitalGlobe. QuickBird - Data Sheet. DigitalGlobe. [Online] [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://www.digitalglobe.com/downloads/QuickBird-DS-QB-Web.pdf.
11. GeoImage. Satellite Overview. GeoImage. [Online] 2012. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://www.geoimage.com.au/satellites/satellite-overview.
12. 12. NOAA. GOES - Introduction. NOAA CLASS. [Online] [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://www.class.ngdc.noaa.gov/data_available/goes/index.htm.
13. NASA. Overview of the GOES Mission. GOES I-M DataBook. 1st Revision. Greenbelt : NASA, 1996.
14. —. Three Classes of Orbit. NASA Earth Observatory. [Online] [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OrbitsCatalog/page2.php.
15. DigitalGlobe. IKONOS - Data Sheet. DigitalGlobe. [Online] June 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://www.digitalglobe.com/sites/default/files/DG_IKONOS_DS.pdf.
16. EADS Astrium. Astrium GEO-Information Services SPOT International Price List. EADS Astrium. [Online] 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://www2.astrium-geo.com/files/pmedia/public/r146_9_pricelist_spot_en_2012.pdf.
17. —. Technical Information about the SPOT Satellites. EADS Astrium. [Online] 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://www.astrium-geo.com/en/191-spot-technical-information.
18. Canadian Space Agency. Satellite Characteristics. Canadian Space Agency. [Online] January 21, 2011. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/radarsat/radarsat-tableau.asp#r1.
19. MDA. Geospatial Services International. MDA Essential Information Solutions. [Online] 2012. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://gs.mdacorporation.com/.
20. USGS/NASA. ASTER Data Access Policies. LP DAAC. [Online] August 19, 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/products/aster_policies.
21. —. ASTER Overview. LP DAAC. [Online] August 19, 2013. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/products/aster_overview.
22. NASA. Aster. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. [Online] July 9, 2004. [Cited: September 19, 2013.] http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/eos.asp.