Satellite Imagery

A world of choice

Trying to decide on satellite imaging?

With all the recent advances in the satellite remote sensing industry, today’s decision makers need up to date information in order to make effective and cost efficient choices. To keep you informed of new satellite launches and technological advances, we present a brief summary of available systems and key terms.

Definitions

Sensor Types: Optical and radar are the two primary sensor types. Optical sensors are sensitive to visible and infrared wavelengths. Radar sensors use microwaves to create and image, and have the advantage of seeing through clouds as well as working at night. Multispectral, hyperspectral and multipolarization sensors collect images in different bands, allowing advanced detection.

Footprint: Refers to the size of the image that the satellite captures.

Spatial Resolution: Is a measure of the smallest feature that may be detectable by the sensor.

Revisit Time: Is a measure of how often the satellite is able to collect an image of a specific location on earth. Some satellites are programmable, which enables more frequent imaging opportunities.

GeoAnalytic Inc. is an authorized reseller for the following:

Optical Satellites

Satellite	Mission Life	Spectral Resolution (meters)
		Panchromatic	Multispectral	Hyperspectral
WorldView-1	2007/09 -	0.4 m
GeoEye-1	2008/09	0.41 m	1.65 m
WorldView-2	Mid 2009	0.41 m	1.8 m
QuickBird	2001/10 -	0.6 m	2.4 m
IRS	1988/03 -	0.8 m	73 m
Ikonos	1999/09 -	1 m	4 m
SPOT	1986/02 -	2.5,5 m	10,20 m
RapidEye	1999/12 -		5 m
Landsat	1972/07 -	15 m	30, 57, 120 m
ASTER	1999/12 -		15 m	30, 90 m
MODIS	1999/12 -		250 m	500, 1000 m

Radar Satellites

Satellite	Mission Life	Frequency	Resolution (meters)
TerraSAR-X	2007/06 -	X-band 9.65 GHz	1-16 m
RADARSAT-2	2007/12 -	C-band 5.405 GHz	3-100 m
RADARSAT-1	1995/11 -	C-band 5.3 GHz	8-100 m
ERS 1,2	1991/07 -	C-band 5.3 GHz	10-100 m
Envisat	2002/03 -	C-band 5.33 GHz	30-150 m