SENSORS

&
PLATFORM
( Note :- Good for Knowledge point of view)
 BROAD CLASSIFICATIONS

• Sensors can be classified on the basis of source of

energy.
• The sensors which depend on external source of
energy, usually the Sun, are known as passive
sensors, while the sensors which have their own
source of energy are known as active sensors.
• A normal photographic camera is one of the
oldest sensors and under different operating
conditions act as either as a passive or active
sensor.
• Under good illumination operating condition when
flash is not used, the camera behaves as a
passive sensor. However, when the camera
operates under poor illumination condition using a
flash, it becomes an active sensor.
 BROAD CLASSIFICATIONS OF SENSORS AND
PLATFORM
• Sensors placed on ground-based platforms are employed
for recording detailed information about the surface.
• The collected information may be used as reference data for
subsequent analysis. Aircrafts or helicopters, which are
airborne platforms, are used to collect detailed images over
virtually any part of the Earth.
• Space borne-platforms are satellites launched for remote
sensing purposes.
• Since the satellites provide repetitive coverage of an area
under study, satellite data products have wide application in
various fields due their multi-characteristics.
 Remote Sensing Satellites
• Satellite-sensor platform is characterized by
– wavelength bands employed in image
acquisition,
– spatial resolution of the sensor,
– coverage area and
– temporal coverage, i.e. how frequent a given
location on the earth surface can be imaged by
the imaging system.
 Based on spatial resolution
• Low resolution systems (approx. 1 km or more)
• Medium resolution systems (approx. 100 m to 1 km)
• High resolution systems (approx. 5 m to 100 m)
• Very high resolution systems (approx. 5 m or less)
 Based on spectral regions
• Optical imaging systems (include visible, near
infrared, and shortwave infrared systems)
• Thermal imaging systems
• Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging
systems
 number of spectral bands used
• Monospectral or panchromatic systems
– (single wavelength band, "black-and-white", grey-
scale image)
• Multispectral systems
– (several spectral bands)
• Superspectral systems
– (tens of spectral bands)
• Hyperspectral systems
– (hundreds of spectral bands)
Synthetic Aperture Radar imaging
systems
• Single frequency
– (L-band, or C-band, or X-band)
• Multiple frequency
– (Combination of two or more frequency bands)
• Single polarization
– (VV, or HH, or HV)
• Multiple polarization
– (Combination of two or more polarization modes)
 GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITES
• If a satellite is positioned in the equatorial plane at an
altitude of approximately 36,000 km moving in same
direction as the Earth, it will have the same time
period as the Earth, and hence appears to be
stationary with respect to the Earth’s surface.
• Such satellites are known as geostationary
satellites.

• Geostationary satellites are ideal for meteorological or

communication purposes.
 SUN SYNCHRONOUS SATELLITE
• If a satellite is positioned in a near north-south
orbital plane, and its movement is made to
synchronise with the Sun, it is called a Sun
synchronous satellite.

• Such satellites have the capability of revisiting the

same area under uniform illumination conditions at
same local time in different seasons every year.
• This is an important factor, which helps in observing
and analyzing the changes in the appearances of
the features within each scene under the same
conditions of observation, and does not require
corrections for different illumination conditions.
• Sun-synchronous satellites are useful for mapping of
earth resources.
• They also provide a synoptic view of large area
with fine detail and systematic repetitive coverage
of land area, they are well suited to monitor many
global environmental problems.
 IMPORTANT REMOTE SENSING
SATELLITE MISSIONS

LANDSAT - USA
SPOT – FRANCE
IRS - INDIA
 LANDSAT
• The first satellite LANDSAT-1 designed to monitor the
Earth’s surface, initially named as ERTS-1 (Earth
Resources Technology Satellite), was launched by
NASA, USA, on July 23, 1972.
• The LANDSAT mission was transferred to NOAA
(National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration) in 1983, and later commercialized in
1985 for providing data to user community.
• In order to optimize the illumination conditions, all
LANDSAT satellites are desired to have same
equatorial crossing time.
• The special features of these LANDSAT satellites are a
combination of sensors with spectral bands tailored to
Earth observation, functional spatial resolution, and a
good aerial coverage.
 SENSORS

• Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) camera system

• Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS) system
• Thematic Mapper (TM)
• Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM)
• Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+).
• The aerial coverage of each LANDSAT scene is 185
km × 185 km.
 Various LANDSAT missions
Orbital Orbital Time of Repeat Swath
Date of Altitude Resolution No. of
Satellite inclinatio period EQ cycle Sensor Width
launch (km) (m) bands
n (min) crossing (days) (km)
MSS 185 80 4
LANDSAT-1 23.7.72 900 91º 103 9:42 A.M. 18
RBV 185 80 3
MSS 185 80 4
LANDSAT-2 22.1.75 900 91º 103 9:42 A.M. 18
RBV 185 80 3
MSS 185 80 5
RBV 185 120 1
LANDSAT-3 5.3.78 900 91º 103 9:42 A.M. 18
(Thermal
band) 40
MSS 185 75 4
TM 185 30 7
LANDSAT-4 16.7.82 705 98.2º 99 9:45 A.M. 16
(120 for
Band 6)
MSS 185 75 4
TM 185 30 7
LANDSAT-5 1.1.84 705 98.2º 98.9 9:45 A.M. 16
(120 for
Band 6)
PAN - 13 × 15 1
TM 185 30 7
LANDSAT-6 5.10.93 705 98.2º 98.9 10:00A.M. 16
(ETM) - (120 for
Band 6)
ETM + - 30 m 6
TM
LANDSAT-7 15.4.99 705 98.2º 98 10:00 A.M. 16
Thermal 185 60 m 1
PAN - 15 1
 Sensors on board various Landsat mission
Spectral range
Sensor Band Application
(µ
µm)
1 0.475 - 0.575
2 0.580 - 0.680
RBV
3 0.090 - 0.830
4 0.505 - 0.750
Emphasizes sediment-laden water and
1 0.5 - 0.6 delineates areas of shallow water
2 0.6 - 0.7 Emphasizes cultural details
MSS Emphasizes vegetation boundary
3 0.7 - 0.8 between land & water and land forms
4 0.8 - 1.1 Penetrates atmospheric haze best,
5 10.4 - 12.6 Hydrothermal Mapping
Sensors on board various Landsat mission
Coastal water mapping; soil/ vegetation
1 0.45 - 0.52 and coniferous/ deciduous
differentiations
2 0.52 - 0.60 Green reflection from healthy vegetation
Chlorophyll II absorption for plant
3 0.63 - 0.69
TM species differentiation
Biomass surveys; water body
4 0.76 - 0.90
delineation
5 1.55 - 1.75 Vegetation and moisture
6 10.4 - 12.5 Hydro thermal mapping
7 2.08 - 2.35 Plant heat stress, thermal mapping
All TM Bands Same as for TM sensor
ETM
PAN 0.50 - 0.90
Same as ETM with Same as for ETM
ETM+ Thermal Band
resolution of 60 m
 LANDSAT 8
Launch Date February 11, 2013
Launch Space Launch Complex-3, Vandenberg Air
Location Force Base in California
Orbit Altitude 705 Km
Orbit sun-synchronous
Inclination
Revisit Time 16 Days)
Swath Width 115 miles (185 kilometres)
Spatial 15 m Multi-spectral band
Resolution 30 m Panchromatic band
• LANDSAT 8 satellite has two main sensors:
– Operational Land Imager (OLI) and
– Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS).

• Operational Land Imager (OLI) will collect image with

9 shortwave Bands with 30 m spatial resolution (15 m
panchromatic) .

• Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) will collect data for

two longwave thermal Bands with a 100 m resolution.
Comparison of L7 ETM+ and L8 Bands
A. Coastal Bands added at request of Ocean color
investigators requiring higher resolution of coastal
water.
B. Bandwidth refinements made to avoid atmospheric
absorption features.
C. Cirrus Band added to detect cirrus contamination in
other channels.
D. TIRS will acquire the data for these two thermal
bands.
 L8 Imagery

Sakurajima Volcano Kyushu, Japan

 SPOT Satellites
• SPOT (System Pour Ľ Observation de la Terre) is a
series of imaging satellites designed and launched by
CNES (Centre National ď Études Spatiales) of France in
collaboration with Sweden and Belgium to provide Earth
observation data.
• SPOT satellites ushered a new era in remote sensing by
introducing linear array sensors having pushbroom
scanning facility.
• The SPOT sensors have pointable optics that enables
site-to-site off-nadir view capabilities permitting full scene
stereoscopic imaging of the same area.
• It is of tremendous value for terrain interpretation,
mapping, and visual terrain simulation from two different
satellite orbital paths.
 SPOT Satellites
• Another advantage of pointable optics is the steerability of
the sensor by 27°° on either side of the nadir.
• This allows the sensor to view an area a number of times
within the revisit period of 26 days, and to monitor specific
locations having dynamic phenomenon.
• It also increases the chance of obtaining cloud free scenes.
Within the equatorial region, the revisit frequency reduces
to a time interval of 3 days making possible viewing of an
area 7 times during the revisit period of the satellite.
• If the latitudes close to 40°° to 45°°, an area can be imaged
11 times during the same revisit period.
• They have equator crossing times around 10.30 AM local
solar time.
• Uptil now 6 SPOT satellites have been launched.
 SPOT-1, 2 and 3 Satellites
Orbital characteristics Sensor characteristics
Near polar sun
Orbit
synchronous HRV (Visible High-Resolution)
Altitude 822 km
Spectral
Inclination 98° Mode Band Resolution
range (µm)
Orbital
101 minutes XS1 0.50 - 0.59 20 m
period
Equator
XS-Multi-
crossing 10:30 A.M. LST XS2 0.61 - 0.68 20 m
spectral
time
Repeat
26 days XS3 0.79 - 0.89 20 m
cycle
117 km (60 km
Swath
per HRV, 3 km P PAN 0.51 - 0.73 10 m
width
overlap)
SPOT- 4 Orbital and Sensor Characteristics
Orbital characteristics Sensor characteristics
Orbit Near polar sun
synchronous HRVIS
Altitude 830 km
Inclination 98° Mode Band Spectral Resolution
range (µm)
Orbital 101 mins 0.50 - 0.59 20 m
period
Equator MIR 0.61 - 0.68 20 m
crossing time 10:30 A.M. LST
20 m
Repeat cycle 26 days 1.98 - 1.75 10 m
Swath width 117 km (80 km per Mono PAN 0.61-0.68 10 m
HRV, 3 km overlap) spectral
VEGETATION
Band Spectral range (µm) Resolution
B0 0.43 - 0.47 1165 m
B2 0.61 - 0.68 1165 m
B3 0.79 - 0.89 1165 m
MIR 1.58 - 1.75 1165 m
SPOT-5 Orbital and Sensor Characteristics
Orbital characteristics Sensor characteristics
Orbit Near polar sun
synchronous HRG (High-Resolution Geometric)
Altitude 832 km
Inclination 98° Mode Band Spectral Resolu-
range (µm) tion
Orbital 101 mins B1 0.50 - 0.59 10 m
period
Equator 10:30 A.M. B2 0.61 - 0.68 10 m
crossing LST 0.79 - 0.89 10 m
time B3
Repeat cycle 26 days SWIR 1.58 - 1.75 20 m
Swath width 117 km (80 km Mono- PAN 0.51 - 0.73 5 m,
per HRV, 3 km) spectral 2m
HRS (High Resolution Stereoscopic)
Monospectral PAN 0.51-0.73 10 m
VEGETATION same as in SPOT 4
 SPOT-6
Launch Date SPOT 6 : Launched on 9.9 2012
Launch Vehicle PSLV
Orbit Altitude 681 kilometers
Orbit Sun-synchronous; 10:00 AM local time at
Inclination descending node
Revisit 1 day
Frequency
Swath Width 60 Km at Nadir
Stereo Single pass stereo and
Capability Tri-stereo (Fore, Nadir and Aft mode)
Resolution Panchromatic - 1.5m
Multispectral - 6.0m (B,G,R,NIR)
Dynamic 12 bits per pixel
Range
PAN: 0.450-0.745 mm
Blue: 0.450-0.520 mm
Bands Green: 0.530-0.590 mm
Red: 0.625-0.695 mm
NIR: 0.760-0.890 mm
SPOT-6
Brisbane-Australia
 IRS Satellites
• The IRS Satellite Systems are under the umbrella of
National Resources Management System (NNRMS),
and coordinated at the national level by the Planning
Committee of NNRMS (PC-NNRMS).

• The launch of the IRS-1A on 17 March, 1988, which

is India’s first civil remote sensing satellite, marked
the beginning of a successful journey in the
International Space Programme.
• The two LISS (Linear Imaging Self-scanning)
sensors on board IRS-1A, have aided its capabilities
in large-scale applications.
• Subsequently, the launch on IRS-1B on August 29,
1991 with same sensors provided better repetitive
coverage.
• The introduction of PAN and WiFS (Wide Field
Sensor) sensors on IRS-1C launched on December
28, 1995, and IRS-1D in September, 1997, further
strengthened the scope of remote sensing
application in the areas like resource survey and
management, urban planning, forestry studies, and
disaster monitoring and environmental studies.
 Various IRS mission launched
Characteristics IRS IA & IB IRS IC IRS ID
Orbit Near polar Near polar
Sun-synchronous Sun-synchronous Sun-synchronous
Altitude 914 km 817 km 821 km
Inclination 99.028° 98.69° 98.62°
Orbital period 103.192 minutes 101.35 minutes 100.56 minutes
Equatorial 1025 hours (local) 1030 hours (Local) 1040 hours (Local)
crossing time
Repeat cycle 26 days 24 days 24 days, 5 days for
PAN & WiFS
Swath width 148 km (LISS I) 141 km (LISS III 141 km (LISS III
VIS) VIS)
74 m (LISS II) 148 km (LISS III 148 km (LISS III
SWIR) SWIR)
70 km (PAN) 70 km (PAN)
810 km (WiFS) 812 km (WiFS)
 Various IRS mission launched

Spatial 72.50 m 23.5 m (LISS III V 23.5 m (LISS III V

resolution (LISS I) & NIR) & NIR)

36.25 m 70.0 m (LISS III 70.0 m (LISS III

(LISS II) MIR) MIR)

70.0 m (LISS III 70.0 m (LISS III

SWIR SWIR

5.8 m (PAN) 5.8 m (PAN)

188.3 m (WiFS) 188 m (WiFS)
 Sensors onboard various IRS mission
IRS IA & IB IRS IC IRS ID
Sensor Band Spectral Spectral Spectral range Applications
range (µm) range (µm) (µm)
1 0.45 - 0.52 ------------- ---------- Coastal environment;
chlorophyll
absorption
2 0.52 - 0.59 0.52 - 0.59 0.52 - 0.59 Green vegetation;
soil/rock
discrimination
LISS 3 0.62 - 0.68 0.62 - 0.68 0.62 - 0.68 Chlorophyll
absorption for plant
species
4 0.77 - 0.86 0.77 - 0.86 0.77 - 0.86 Delineation of land
and water
5 1.55 - 1.70 1.55 - 1.70 Vegetation mapping
 Sensors onboard various IRS mission
0.50 - 0.75 0.50 - 0.75 Resource
PAN identification

1 0.62 - 0.68 0.62 - 0.68 Global

vegetation
mapping
2 0.77 - 0.86 0.77 - 0.86 Global
WiFS vegetation
mapping
3 1.55 - 1.75 Global
vegetation
mapping
 IRS – P SATELLITES
• In order to strengthen India’s own capability to launch
space vehicles, a series of satellites known as IRS-P
was initiated.
• IRS-P3 and IRS-P4 was launched from Sriharikota, India,
using a Polar Satellite Launched Vehicle (PSLV).
• IRS-P3 satellite was placed in a near polar, Sun-
synchronous orbit at an altitude of 817 km with an
equatorial crossing time of 10:30 A.M.
• It carried an X-ray astronomy payload and two remote
sensing sensors, namely WiFS and MOS (Modular
Opto-electronics Scanner).
• The IRS-P3 WiFS is similar to IRS-1C WiFS except for
the inclusion of an additional band in Middle Infra-Red
(MIR) to study dynamic vegetation studies, while MOS
caters to oceanography applications
 Sensor characteristics of IRS-P3

Characteristics MOS-A MOS-B MOS-C WiFS

188 × 188
1598 × 523 ×
Resolution (m) 523×523 (B3 & B4)
1395 644
188 × 246 (B5)
Swath (km) 195 200 192 770
Receptivity
24 24 24 24
(day)
0.62 - 0.68 (B3)
Spectral band
0.755-0.768 0.408-1.01 1.5 - 1.7 0.77 - 0.68 (B4)
(µ
µm)
1.55 - 1.69 (B5)
 IRS –P4
• IRS-P4, also known as Oceansat, was launched on
May 26, 1999 at 11:52 A.M. from Sriharikota using a
PSLV vehicle.

• It carried two payloads, Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM)

and Multi-frequency Scanning Microwave
Radiometer (MSMR).
 IRS – P6
• IRS-P6, also known as ResourceSat-1 was launched
on October 17, 2003 from Sriharikota, India on a PSLV
satellite.
• The main objective of ResourceSat-1 is not only to
provide continued remote sensing data for integrated
land and water management, and agricultural and its
related applications, but also to provide additional
capabilities such as real time availability of data to
ground stations anywhere in the World with its
advanced onboard solid state recorder.
• Even though ResourceSat-1 carries three sensors
similar to IRS-1C and IRS-1D, but with some additional
features.
 Sensor characteristics of IRS-P6
• A high resolution Linear Imaging Self Scanner
(LISS-4) operating in three spectral bands in the
Visible and Near Infra Red (VNIR) regions with
5.8 m spatial resolution and steerable up to ±26º
across the track to obtain stereoscopic imagery
and achieve 5-day revisit capability.
• A medium resolution LISS-3 operating in three
spectral bands in VNIR and one in Short-Wave
Infrared (SWIR) band with 23.5 m spatial
resolution.
(iii) An Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS)
operating in three spectral bands in VNIR and
one band in SWIR with 56 m spatial resolution.
(iv) Multi-spectral mode (Mx) having a swath width
of 23 km selectable out of the total swath of 70
km in all the three bands.
(v) Mono mode having a swath width of 70 km in any
one of single band as defined by ground control
commands.
Details of LISS-IV sensor characteristics

Sensor parameter Specifications

B2 0.52 - 0.59 µm
Spectral bands B3 0.62 - 0.68 µm
B4 0.77 - 0.86 µm
Spatial resolution 5.8 m (at nadir)

Radiometric resolution 10 bits

 Details of AWiFS sensor characteristics

Sensor Parameter Specifications

B2 0.52 - 0.59 µm
B3 0.62 - 0.68 µm
Spectral bands B4 0.77 - 0.86 µm
B5 1.55 - 1.70 µm
370 km for each module
Spatial resolution
740 km combined
Radiometric resolution 10 bits
 Indian Earth Observation Systems: 1988 – 2005
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
2001
IRS-IB
2002 2003
LISS-1 & LISS-II (72.5/
2004 2005
36.25m) Bands:4 Swath:148/74km
IRS-IB LISS-1 & LISS-II (72.5/36.25 m) Bands: 4 Swath: 148/74 km

IRS-IC LISS-3 (23/70 m) 4 Bands, 140 km

Swath; PAN (5.8 m) 20 km Swath) WiFS (188 m)
2 Bands, 810 km Swath
IRS-P3 MOS-A/B/C (16 Bands; 500 m; 200
km SWATH); WiFS (188 m; 3BANDS)
IRS-ID LISS-3 (23/70 m 4 Bands): PAN
(5.8 m); WiFS (188 m; 2 BANDS)

IRS-P4 (OCEANSAT-2) OCM (8 Bands;

350m); Microwave Radiometer (4 Frequency)

IRS-P6 (Resourcesat-1) LISS-4 (5.8 m; 23 km

Swath; 4 Bands Steerable); LISS-3 (23 m; 140
km Swath; 4 bands); AWIFS (100 m; 700 km
swath; 4 Bands)
IRS-P5
(CARTOSAT-
1) PAN 2.5 m;
30 km Swath;
F/A Stereo 2
Used of Different EMR region by various sensors
Spectral Type of Applications
Name Sensor
Designed for water penetration, useful
for coastal water and lake bathymetry
and sediment load mapping. Useful for
differentiation of soil from vegetation,
Visual Blue TM Band 1 and deciduous from coniferous flora.
Well fragmented and granular rocks
(shales, phosphates, evaporities)
scatter blue light and result in a high
band 1 (and sometimes 2).
TM Band 2 Designed to measure visible green
MSS Band1 reflectance peak of vegetation for
SPOT XS/X1 vigour assessment. Also used to map
Visible Green sediment concentration in turbid
Band 1
waters, and is higher for ferrous iron
IRS LISS
rich rock compared to ferric iron.
Band 1
Used of Different EMR region by various
sensors
TM Band 3 A chlorophyll absorption band important
MSS Band 2 to 3 for vegetation discrimination. It is higher
Visible
SPOT X S / X 1 Band for rocks and soils rich in iron, especially
Red
2 ferric iron.
IRS LISS Band 2
Useful for determining healthy
vegetation and for delineation of water
bodies. Peaks strongly for chlorophyll in
TM Band 4
healthy vegetation, resulting in a
Near MSS Band 3 to 4
characteristic ‘red-edge’ between bands
Infrared SPOTXS/X1 Band 3
3 and 4. In the absence of vegetation,
IRS LISS Band 3
ratios of bands 1 through 5 show
ferric/ferrous iron differences in rocks
and minerals.
 Indicative of vegetation moisture content and soil moisture.
TM Band 5
Dry material results in relatively higher values. Also useful
SPOT X1 for discriminating snow and clouds (low for snow, high for
Band 4 clouds). In vegetation free areas, band 5 varies according to
IRS LISS the type of iron oxide present in rocks and soils, and is
Band 4 generally high for all minerals.
Short
wave Useful for discriminating rocks, hydrothermal altered zones,
Infrared and for mineral exploration. Hydroxyl (OH) molecular bonds
in minerals stretch and the resultant electronic vibration
causes absorption of energy around 2.2 µm, µ resulting in
TM Band 7
marked low values in band 7 for clay-rich minerals.
Carbonate rich materials can also cause the same effect.
Silica rich materials, dust in the air and bare soil are often
relatively high in band 7.

Therma Used for thermal mapping. Useful for heat intensity,

TM Band 6 vegetation and crop stress analysis and locating thermal
l
pollution. It is usually higher for darker coloured rocks.
Infrared
 CARTOSAT – 1
• With the availability of IRS-1C/1D data, it was
possible to prepare cartographic and town planning
applications up to 1:10,000 scale with stereo pairs of
the imageries providing height information to an
accuracy of 10 m approximately.

• This provided the necessary impetus to further

develop high resolution sensors dedicated to
cartographic and mapping application.
• Cartosat-1 has two fore-and-aft PAN cameras
having a spatial resolution of 2.5 m was launched on
May 5, 2005.
• The PAN cameras are mounted in such a manner
that one camera is working at + 26° with respect to
nadir and the other at − 5° with respect to nadir.
• The two cameras combinedly provide stereoscopic
image pairs in the same pass.
 Salient features of Cartosat-1 payload
Parameter Specification
Spatial resolution (m) 2.5×2.78 (Fore camera)
(Across-track × along 2.2×2.23 (Aft camera)
track)
Spectral resolution 1 Panchromatic
a) No. of bands 500 nm to 850
b) b) Band width
Radiometric resolution 10 bits
Swath (km) 30 (stereo)
26.855 (Fore + Aft combined in
mono mode)
CARTOSAT IMAGE – AMRITSAR
 CARTOSAT-2
Launch Date January 2007

Orbit Altitude 637 km

Orbit Polar Sun-synchronous

Revisit Frequency No. of days of re-acquisition is

approximately 4 days
Swath Width 9.6 km
<1m
Resolution
Dynamic Range 10 bits

Sensor Bands Panchromatic, 0.5-0.85 µm

 Applications of CARTOSAT-I & II
• With improved spatial resolution and stereo
imaging capability it will enable the generation of
Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and other value
added products.

• Provide enhanced inputs for large scale mapping

applications and stimulate newer applications in
– Urban and rural development, land and water
resources management, disaster assessment,
land cover change detection, relief planning and
management, environmental impact assessment.
DEM
 IKONOS
• Space Imaging Inc. made history on September 24,
1999, when it launched into space using the Athena
II rocket, the IKONOS, the world’s first commercial
high-resolution imaging satellite.

• IKONOS is derived from the Greek word for image.

• It is the first of its kind to simultaneously collect 1-m
resolution panchromatic (B&W) images and 4-m
resolution multispectral (color) images.

• Designed to take digital images of the Earth from an

altitude of 680 km and moving at a speed of about 7
km/s, the satellite camera can distinguish objects on
the Earth’s surface as small as one square meter.

• IKONOS images cover a surface area of 11 km × 11

km.
 Salient features of IKONOS
IKONOS Characteristics
Launch date September 24, 1999 at 11:21:08 A.M. PDT
Orbit
Altitude 423 miles or 681 km.
Inclination 98.1°
Speed 4 miles/sec. (17500 miles/hr) or 7 km/sec (26000 km/hr)
Descending nodal 10:30 A.M.
crossing time
Orbit time 98 minutes
Orbit type Near-polar, sun-synchronous
Sensors Panchromatic and Multispectral
Resolution Ground resolution of each band:
1-m panchromatic (nominal at <26° off nadir)
4-m multispectral (nominal at <26° off nadir)
 Salient features of IKONOS
IKONOS Characteristics
Launch date September 24, 1999 at 11:21:08 A.M. PDT
Orbit
Altitude 423 miles or 681 km.
Inclination 98.1°
Speed 4 miles/sec. (17500 miles/hr) or 7 km/sec (26000 km/hr)
Descending nodal 10:30 A.M.
crossing time
Orbit time 98 minutes
Orbit type Near-polar, sun-synchronous
Sensors Panchromatic and Multispectral
Resolution Ground resolution of each band:
1-m panchromatic (nominal at <26°° off nadir)
4-m multispectral (nominal at <26°° off nadir)
 Salient features of IKONOS

Imagery Panchromatic: 0.45 - 0.90 µm

spectral Multispectral: (same as Landsat 4 and 5 TM Bands 1-
response 4)
Swath widths Nominal swath width: 11 km.
Revisit 2.9 days at 1m resolution (at 40° latitude)
frequency 1.5 days at 1.5 m resolution (at 40° latitude)
Dynamic range 11-bit data or 8-bit data
A nominal single image at 11 km. × 11 km.
Strips of 11 km. × 100 km. up to 11 km. × 1000 km.
Image mosaics of up to10,000 km2
Scene sizes Up to two 10, 000 km2 continuous areas in a single
pass within a region.
In-track stereo imagery capability of 22 km. × 130 km.
perpendicular to the ground track
 IKONOS 2 characteristics
Characteristics
Launch vehicle Athena II
Resolution: 10 m panchromatic,
4 m multispectral

Swath width: 13 km at nadir

Scene sizes: nominal single image-13 km × 13 km
Strips-11 km ×100 km up to 11 km × 1000 km Image
mosaics-up to 12, 000 sq. km

Revisit frequency: 3 days at 1 m resolution

1.5 days at 1.5 m resolution
1 day at 2 m resolution

Orbit type: sun synchronous

IKONOS IMAGE
IKONOS IMAGE
 Quick Bird
• The Quick Bird satellite launched in October 2002, by
Digital Globe Inc.
• It acquires black and white images with a resolution of
61 cm and colour images (4 bands) with a resolution of
2.44 m covering a surface area of 16.5 km × 16.5 km.
• Quick Bird provides panchromatic, multi-spectral and
colour image products that enable superior image
classification and analysis based on 4 spectral bands at
11-bit dynamic range.
• The imagery products are available at different
processing levels (basic, standard, and ortho) serving
the needs of different user groups.
 Characteristics of Quick Bird
Sensor Specifications
Orbital type Sun-synchronous
Orbital altitude 450 km
Swath width 22 km
Bits per pixel 11
Image area 16.5 × 16.5 sq km
Revisit time 1 - 3.5 days
Launch date 18 Oct. 2001
Sensor type PAN
Resolution 0.61m
Channels 1
Spectral range 0.45 - 0.90 µm
Sensor type MSI
Resolution 2.44 m
Channels 4
Band 1 Blue: 0.45 - 0.52 µm
Band 2 Green: 0.52 - 0.60 µm
Band 3 Red: 0.63 - 0.69 µm
Band 4 Near IR: 0.76 - 0.90 µm
QUICK BIRD PAN
QUICK BIRD MS
 WorldView-1
Launch Date September 18, 2007
Launch Vehicle Boeing Delta 7920 (9-strap-
ons)
Launch Location Vandenberg Air Force Base,
California, USA
Orbit Altitude 496 Km
Orbit Inclination sun-synchronous
Revisit Time 1.7 days at 1 m GSD or less
5.9 days at 20° off-nadir or
less (0.51 meter GSD)
Swath Width 17.6 Km at nadir
 Full Scene 17.6 Km x 14 Km or
246.4 Km 2 at nadir
Orbit Time 94.6 minutes
Dynamic Range 11 bits per pixel
Resolution 0.50 meters GSD at nadir
0.55 meters GSD at 20° off-nadir
Sensor Bands Panchromatic
 WorldView-2
Benefits:
• Provides highly detailed imagery for precise map
creation, change detection, and in-depth image
analysis.
• Geo-locate features to less than 5m to create maps
in remote areas, maximizing the utility of available
resources.
• Stereoscopic collection on a single pass ensures
image continuity and consistency of quality.
• Provides the ability to perform precise
change detection, mapping and analysis at
unprecedented resolutions in 8-band multispectral
imagery.
 WorldView-2
Launch Date October 8, 2009
Launch Vehicle Delta 7920 (9 strap-ons)
Launch Location Vandenberg Air Force Base
Orbit Altitude 770 kilometers
Orbit Inclination Sun synchronous,
10:30 am (LT) descending Node
Orbit Period 100 minutes;
Swath Width 16.4 kilometers at nadir
Orbit Time 94.6 minutes

Dynamic Range 11-bits per pixel

Revisit Time 1.1 days at 1 m GSD or less
3.7 days at 20° off-nadir or
less (0.52 meter GSD)
Resolution PAN: 0.46 m GSD at Nadir,
0.52 m GSD at 20° Off-Nadir,
Multispectral: 1.84 m GSD at Nadir,
2.4 m GSD at 20° Off-Nadir
Panchromatic
8 Multispectral:
4 standard colors: red, blue, green, near-IR,
Bands 4 new colors:
coastal blue (400-450 nm),
yellow (585-625 nm),
red edge (705-745 nm)
near-IR2 (860-1040 nm)
 WorldView-3
Benefits:
• Simultaneous, high resolution, super-spectral imagery.
• Large area mono and stereoscopic collection eliminates
temporal variations.
• New and enhanced applications, including:
– Mapping,
– Land Classifications,
– Disaster Preparedness and Response,
– Feature Extraction/Change Detection
– Soil & Vegetative Analysis,
– Geology, Oil & Gas,
– Mining Environmental Monitoring
– Bathymetry/Coastal Applications,
– Identification of Man-made Materials Superior Haze
Penetration.
 WorldView-3
Launch Date August 13, 2014
Launch Vehicle Atlas V launch
Orbit Altitude Altitude: 617 km
Orbit Inclination Type: Sun Synchronous, 1:30
pm descending Node
Orbit Period 97 min
1 m GSD: <1.0 day
Revisit Time 4.5 days at 20° off-nadir or
less
Swath Width At nadir: 13.1 km
 Dynamic 11-bits per pixel Pan and MS;
Range 14-bits per pixel SWIR
Panchromatic
Resolution 0.31 m GSD at Nadir
0.34 m at 20° Off-Nadir
Multispectral :1.24 m at Nadir, 1.38 m at 20° Off-Nadir
SWIR : 3.70 m at Nadir, 4.10 m at 20° Off-Nadir
CAVIS : 30.00 m
Sensor Panchromatic: 450-800 nm
Bands 8 Multispectral: (red, red edge, coastal, blue, green, yellow,
near-IR1 and near-IR2) 400 nm - 1040 nm
8 SWIR: 1195 nm - 2365 nm
12 CAVIS Bands:
(desert clouds, aerosol-1, aerosol-2, aerosol-3, green, water-1,
water- 2, water-3, NDVI-SWIR, cirrus, snow) 405 nm - 2245nm
Comparison of WorldView-I, II & III
 RapidEye
Launch Date August 29th, 2008
Orbit Altitude 630 km in Sun-synchronous
orbit

Equator Crossing 11:00 am local time

Time (approximately)
Sensor Type Multi-spectral push broom
imager

Revisit Time Daily (off-nadir) / 5.5 days (at

nadir)
 Swath Width 77 km

Dynamic Range 12 bit

Resolution 5 m, Ground sampling

distance (nadir) 6.5 m
Sensor Bands
Blue 440 - 510
Green 520 - 590
Red 630 - 685
Red Edge 690 - 730
NIR 760 - 850
RapidEye Imagery

Oahu Hawaii
 GeoEye-1
Launch Date September 6, 2008
Launch Vehicle Delta II
Orbit Altitude Altitude: 617 km

Orbit Type: Sun Synchronous,

Inclination 1:30 pm descending Node

Orbit Period 97 min

 Nominal swath width –
15.2 km / 9.44 mi at Nadir
Swath Width & Single-point scene –
Representative 225 sq km (15x15 km)
Area Sizes Contiguous large area –
15,000 sq km (300x50 km)
Contiguous 1° cell size areas –
10,000 sq km (100x100 km)
Contiguous stereo area –
6,270 sq km (224x28 km)
Resolution 0.46 m panchromatic (nominal at Nadir)
1.84 m multispectral (nominal at Nadir)
SWIR: 3.70 m at Nadir, 4.10 m at 20° Off-
Nadir
CAVIS : 30.00 m
PAN: 450 - 800 nm
Sensor Blue: 450 - 510 nm
Bands Green: 510 - 580 nm
Red: 655 - 690 nm
NIR: 780 - 920 nm
GeoEye-1 Imagery

Inakadate-Japan
THANK
YOU