| Alex's Remote Sensing Imagery Summary Table | ||||||||||||||||
| Last update on November 1st, 2004 | ||||||||||||||||
| High Resolution | ||||||||||||||||
| Sensor - Satellite | Sponsor | Lifespan | Spatial Resolution | Swath | Spectral Bands | Premise | Other Sensor Specs | Repeat Cycle | Pricing | Links | ||||||
| ORBView-3 | Orbimage | June 2003 5 yrs mission |
1m Pan 4m MS |
8 km | MS 4 bands (450-520, 520-600, 620-690, 760-900nm) Pan (450-900nm) |
Commercial | ±45° off nadir | < 3 days | No public data available before 2004 | A: Official website | A | |||||
| Quickbird-2 | DigitalGlobe | Oct. 2001 - ongoing | 0.61m Pan 2.44m MS |
16.5 km 165 km track |
MS 4 bands (450-520, 520-600, 630-690, 760-890nm) Pan (450-900nm) |
Commercial Quickbird-1 launch failed in Nov. 2000 |
QB 2 polar orbit ±30° in all directions Stereo Capablity |
1-3.5 days | 22.5$/sqkm worldwide New: 64sqkm min Archive: 25sqkm min |
A: Official website B: Archive search tool |
A | B | ||||
| IKONOS-2 | Space Imaging | Sept. 1999 - ongoing | 1m Pan 4m MS |
11.3 km wide at nadir | MS 4 bands (450-520, 520-600, 630-690, 760-900nm) Pan (525.8-928.5nm) |
Commercial IKONOS-1 launch failed in April 1999 |
±26° inclination 11 bits data |
1-3 days | North America: Archive from 7$/sqkm min 49sqkm New from 15$/sqkm min 100sqkm |
A: Official website B: Archive search tool |
A | B | ||||
| EROS 1A | West Indian Space | Dec. 2000 - ongoing | 1.8m Pan | 12.6x12.6 km | Pan (500-900nm) | Commercial ? | 1.8-4 days | 1500$/Full scene Sub-scene possible 200$ for tasking |
A: Official
website B: Pricelist |
A | B | |||||
| SPOT 5a | HGR & Vegetation | Spot Image | May
2002 > 5 yrs mission ? |
2.5 & 5m Pan 10m MS 20m SWIR band |
60 km | MS 4 bands (500-590, 610-680, 790-890, 1580-1750nm) Pan 510-730nm |
Commercial | Also Vegetation Instrument | 3 to 26 days ±31° inclination |
New 2.5m pan scene: 7750$ | A: Official website B: Archive search tool (SIRIUS) |
A | B | |||
| IRS-1C & 1D | LISS3 & WiFS sensors | INDIA (ISRO) | 1C: Dec. 95 - ongoing 1D: Sept. 97 - ongoing |
5m Pan 20m MS 180m WiFS |
70x70 km Pan 142x142 km MSS 774x774 km WiFS |
Pan 500-750nm MS 4 bands (520-590, 620-680, 770-860, 1550-1700nm) (SWIR at 70m pixel) WiFS 2 bands (620-680, 770-860nm) |
Commercial (Vegetation & Land-Use) |
Pan ±26° inclination | 24 days 5-24 off-nadir Pan |
From 900$ (23km x 23km subset) to 3000$/scene |
A: Archive search tool (SI) B: NRSA website |
A | B | |||
| IRS-P5 CartoSat-1 |
INDIA (ISRO) | Launch planned 2004 | 2.5m | 30 km | Pan | 22 days | ||||||||||
| Multispectral | ||||||||||||||||
| Sensor - Satellite | Sponsor | Lifespan | Spatial Resolution | Swath | Spectral Bands | Premise | Other Sensor Specs | Repeat Cycle | Pricing | Links | ||||||
| Landsat | MSS | NASA/NOAA/USGS | 1972-1992 | 60mx80m | 185x185 km | MS 4 bands (500-600, 600-700, 700-800, 800-1100nm) |
Science Commercial |
18 days | A: Archive search tool (USGS) | A | ||||||
| Landsat 4 & 5 | TM | NASA/NOAA/USGS | 1984- | 30m MS 120m TIR |
185x172 km | MS 7 Bands VNIR-TIR | Science Commercial |
16 days | A: Archive
search tool (USGS) B: Free world coverage data (UMD) C: Free worldwide mosaics (NASA) |
A | B | C | ||||
| Landsat 7 | ETM+ | NASA/NOAA/USGS | April 15th 1999 - ongoing** 6 yrs mission |
15m Pan 30m MS 60m TIR |
185x172 km | Pan 520-900nm 5 Bands VNIR 2 Bands SWIR 1 Band TIR |
Science Commercial |
** Data quality dropped significantly since the SLC failure in June 2003. | 16 days | About 600$, but huge collection of free Landsat 7 data online | A: USGS website, B: Archive search tool (USGS), C: Free world coverage data (UMD), D: Free data (for Canada) | A | B | C | D | |
| SPOT 1, 2, 3 | HRV | Launches 1986, 1990, 1993 - ??? | 10m Pan 20m MS |
60x60 km | MS 4 bands (500-590, 610-680, 790-890nm) Pan (510-730nm) |
Commercial | 3 to 26 days ±30° inclination |
Archives from 1200-2700 euros | A:
Official website B: Archive search tool (SIRIUS) C: Free SPOT-Pan 10m data (NIMA) |
A | B | C | ||||
| SPOT 4 | 2xHRV-IR & Vegetation | CNES | March 1998 - ongoing ? | 10m Pan 20m MS |
60x60 km | MS 4 bands (500-590, 610-680, 790-890, 1580-1750nm) Pan (610-680nm) |
Commercial | Also Vegetation Instrument at 1.1km pixel | 3 to 26 days ±27° inclination |
Archives from 1200-2700 euros | A: Official website B: Archive search tool (SIRIUS) C: Free SPOT-Vegetation data |
A | B | C | ||
| IRS-1A & 1B | LISS 1 & LISS 2 | INDIA (ISRO) | March 1988(A)/Aug. 1991(B) - 1999 ? | 36 & 72 m | 74 & 148 km | Pan | 22 days | A: Archive search tool (SI) | A | |||||||
| IRS-P2 | LISS 2 | INDIA (ISRO) | Oct. 1994 | 36 m | 132 km | 24 days | ||||||||||
| IRS-P6 ResourceSat-1 |
LISS-4, LISS-3 & AWiFS | INDIA (ISRO) | Oct. 2003 - ongoing 5 yrs mission |
5.8, 23.5 & 56m | 23.9, 141 & 740 km | LISS-4 3 bands 520-860nm LISS-3 4 bands 520-1700nm AWiFS 4 bands 520-1700nm |
24 days ±27° inclination |
A: Specs website | A | |||||||
| JERS-1 | OPS | Japan | Feb. 1992 - Oct. 1998 | 18x24m | 75x75 km | MS 8 bands VIS-SWIR | Optical sensor barely operational and failed early during the mission ? | 44 days | A: JERS-1 OPS website | A | ||||||
| ALI | EO-1 | NASA | Dec. 1999 - ongoing ! (sept. 2003) 1 yr mission |
10m Pan 30m MS |
185 km | Pan 480-680nm MSS 9 bands 433-2350nm |
Experimental | mission | 16 days | New acquisition 2000$ Archived data 500$ |
A: USGS EO-1 website B: Archive Search Tool (USGS) |
A | B | |||
| ASTER | Terra | MITI/NASA | December 1999 6 yrs mission |
15m VNIR 30m SWIR 90m TIR |
60 km x 60 km | 3 bands VNIR 520-860nm, 6 bands SWIR 1600-2430nm, 5 bands TIR 8125-11650nm, Bands for stereoscopy 780-860nm |
Scientific | ASTER DEM product available, about 30m accuracy. | 16 days | Level 1B & DEM Free Other: 60$/scene |
A: JPL's ASTER website B: Archive search tool (USGS) C: Free Level 1B & DEM download D: ASTER GDS site & User Guide |
A | B | C | D | |
| CBERS-1 | CHINA-BRAZIL | Oct. 1999 -
ongoing ? 2 yrs mission |
20, 80 & 260m | 113, 120 & 890 km | CCD 4 bands@20m 450-890nm + Pan IR-MSS 3 bands@80m 500-2350nm + TIR WFI 2 bands@260m 630-900nm |
? | ±32° 3day revisit | 26 days | CCD: 200$US/scene, see link B | A | B | |||||
| CBERS-2 | CHINA-BRAZIL | Oct. 2003 - ongoing | 20, 80 & 240m | 132-1056 km | CCD-XS (4 bands), CCD-Pan (1 band), IRMS (4 bands, 80m), WFI (3 bands, 240m) | ? | ? | A: Website | A | |||||||
| Hyperspectral | ||||||||||||||||
| Sensor - Satellite | Sponsor | Lifespan | Spatial Resolution | Swath | Spectral Bands | Premise | Other Sensor Specs | Repeat Cycle | Pricing | Links | ||||||
| EO-1 | Hyperion | NASA | Dec. 1999 - ongoing ! (sept. 2003) 1 yr mission |
30m | 7.5 km x 100 km | 220
bands 400nm to 2500nm @10nm Grating Imaging Spec |
Experimental | New acquisition 2000$ Archived data 500$ |
A: USGS EO-1 website B: Archive Search Tool (USGS) |
A | B | |||||
| EO-1 | LEISA AC | NASA | 12/1/1999 1 yr mission |
250m | 7.5 km x 100 km | 309 Bands 850-1600nm @2.4nm Wedge Imaging Spec |
Experimental | |||||||||
| Envisat-1 | MERIS | ESA Aerospatiale France, Cannes, ACRI |
May 2002 5 yrs mission |
300m @nadir and 1200m global | 1150 km | 15 bands programmable 390-1040nm @2.5nm |
Scientific (Oceanographic, atmospheric and land observations) |
5 identical sensors | 35 days | A: Official MERIS website B: ESA archive search tool |
A | B | ||||
| ADEOS-2 | GLI | NASDA | Dec. 2002
- Oct. 2003 3 yrs design |
250/1000m | 19 bands
375-865nm @8-20nm 4 bands 460-825nm @50-110nm 6 bands 1050-2210nm @20-220nm 7 bands 3715-12000nm @330-1000nm |
Scientific (Oceanographic) |
Failed prematurely on october 25 2003 | A: Official website | A | |||||||
| Radar | ||||||||||||||||
| Sensor - Satellite | Sponsor | Lifespan | Spatial Resolution | Swath | Spectral Bands | Premise | Other Sensor Specs | Repeat Cycle | Pricing | Links | ||||||
| ERS-1 | C-Band SAR | Europe | July 1991 - March 2000 | 30m | 100x100km | C-Band (5.3GHz, WL=5.66cm) SAR VV Polarization |
Commercial | Interferometry possible | 35 days | PRI product: 1600$Can/scene | A: Official ERS website B: ESA archive search tool |
A | B | |||
| ERS-2 | C-Band SAR | Europe | 1995 - ongoing | 30m | 100x100km | C-Band (5.3GHz, WL=5.66cm) SAR VV Polarization |
Commercial | Interferometry possible | 35 days | PRI product: 1600$Can/scene | A: Official ERS website B: ERS 1/2 interferometry C: ESA archive search tool |
A | B | C | ||
| JERS-1 | L-Band SAR | Japan | Feb. 1992 - Oct. 1998 | 18x24m | 75x75 km | L-Band (1275GHz, WL=23.5cm) SAR HH Polarization |
Interferometry & Stereoscopy possible (band 3 & 4) | 44 days | A: Official JERS-1 website | A | ||||||
| RADARSAT-1 | C-Band SAR | CSA/MDA | Nov. 1995 - ongoing | 10, 25, 50, 100 m | 50-500 km | C-Band (5.3GHz, WL=5.66cm) SAR HH Polarization |
Commercial | Right looking Interferometry & stereoscopy possible |
16 days | Archives older than 1999: 2025$Can/scene, any mode | A: Radarsat International website B: CCRS archive search tool |
A | B | |||
| RADARSAT-2 | C-Band Multi Pol ASAR | CSA/MDA | Not yet
launched Anticipated: 2005 7 yrs mission |
3-100 m | 20-500 km | C-Band (5.405GHz), Multi polarization SAR Multi beam Mode |
Commercial | Left/Right looking | 24 days | A: Radarsat-2 official info page | A | |||||
| Envisat-1 | ASAR | ESA | May 2002 5 yrs mission |
30, 150, 500m | 5-406 km | C Band ASAR (5.331GHz) Multi Pol Imagettes to ScanSAR |
Scientific (Oceanographic, atmospheric and land observations) |
Interferometry possible, Alternating polarization: HH/HV or VV/HH or VV/VH with 25m pixels | 35 days | A: Official ESA website B: ESA archive search tool |
A | B | ||||
| Space Shuttle | SIR-C | NASA, DARA (Germany), ASI (Italy) | April-October 1994 | 25m | 15 to 90 km | X, C & L-band SAR | Multipolarization in C band (HH, HV, VH, VV). | N/A | Free | A: Official SIR-C website B: USGS SIR-C website C: SIR-C Download Index map |
A | B | C | |||
| Space Shuttle Endeavour | SRTM | MIMA/NASA/DLR/ASI | February
2000 11 days total |
30m | About 50 km | X (3.1
cm), C (5.8 cm) Bands C-Band IFSAR Generate DEM |
Defence Scientific |
Interferometry & DEM products available (3 & 1 arc-second, near-worldwide coverage) | N/A | Free SRTM DEM | A:
Official website B: SRTM DEM ftp site C: USGS Seamless download engine D: UMD degree tiles SRTM download |
A | B | C | D | |
| Yellow background: still active | ||||||||||||||||
| DISCLAIMER: You are using this list at your own risk. Please submit errors and updates to: | arsist@matox.com | This document can be downloaded from | This document is released under the GNU Free Documentation License | |||||||||||||
| Special thanks to Andrew Dyk, from NRCan, who allowed me to use his sensor list. Sincere thanks to all contributors. | www.matox.com/agisrs/arsist/ | Copyright © 2004 Alexandre Leroux | ||||||||||||||
| This summary table concentrate on sensors procuring publicly available data of landsat-like spatial resolution or better. | Download the 4-pages pdf here | Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under | ||||||||||||||
| Other sources for similar information: | Download the 8x11 pdf here | the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. | ||||||||||||||
| • The Applied-GIS-RS mailing list | • Jonathan's Space Report | • Belgian Earth Observation Sensor list | • Satellite-Related WWW Sites | www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl.html | ||||||||||||