Assignment of GIS:
SENSOR SYSTEMS
Submitted by: Sir Imran Zafar
Submitted by: Mariyam chatha
Mphill
Sem 2
Env. Sciences
2010-2012
Dated : 17-02-2011
Kinnaird College Lhr.
SENSOR SYSTEMS
High Resolution Satellites
High resolution satellite imagery can save both time and money by providing a bird’s
eye view of the land without the cost of traveling there in person. The true power of
high resolution satellite imagery is revealed when it is combined with other data layers
to make informed, repeatable and transparent decisions [1].
Some high resolution satellites are given here:
1. IKONOS
2. Quickbird
3. Orb view 2
4. World view 2
1. IKONOS
American civilian surveillance satellite launched on
September 24, 1999. The agility of IKONOS combined
with its longevity translates into one of the most robust
high resolution satellite imagery archives available.
IKONOS Specifications
Panchromatic (Black and White) & Multispectral
Spectral Bands: (Red, Green, Blue and NIR)
Resolution: 0.80-m Panchromatic & 3.2-m Multispectral
Revisit Time: ~ 3 days (depends on latitude)
15-m CE90% (does not account for topographic
Positional Accuracy: distortions)
Swath Width: 11.3-km at nadir
Archive Dates: September 1999 to Present
Stereo Availability: Archive (as available) and as new collections
Orbital Altitude: 681-km
Spatial resolution
0.8 m panchromatic (1-m PAN)
4-meter multispectral (4-m MS)
1-meter pan-sharpened (1-m PS)
Temporal resolution
The revisit rate for IKONOS is 3 to 5 days off-nadir and 144 days for true-nadir.
Radiometric resolution
The sensor collects data with a 11-bit (0-2047) sensitivity and are delivered in an
unsigned 16-bit (0-65535) data format [2].
IKONOS Natural Color 80-cm Satellite Imagery - Oakland, CA
2. QuickBird
Launched on October 18, 2001, QuickBird was the
world’s highest resolution commercial satellite for
nearly six years. With the largest footprints of any
multispectral high resolution satellite, QuickBird is the
ideal solution for those requiring large-area, same-day
coverage of their area of interest.
QuickBird Specifications
Panchromatic (Black and White) & Multispectral
Spectral Bands: (Red, Green, Blue and NIR)
Resolution: 0.60-m Panchromatic & 2.4-m Multispectral
Revisit Time: ~ 3.5 days (depends on latitude)
23-m CE90% (does not account for topographic
Positional Accuracy: distortions)
Swath Width: 16.5-km at nadir
Archive Dates: April 2002 to Present
Stereo Availability: Only Archive (as available)
Orbital Altitude: 450-km
QuickBird Natural Color 60-cm Satellite Imagery - The Louisana Superdome, New Orleans, LA .[3].
3. OrbView-2
Launch in 1997 by Americans. OrbView-2 collects on a daily basis color imagery of the
Earth’s land and ocean surfaces.
ORBVIEW-2 SPECIFICATIONS
Spatial 1.13 km LAC/HRPT and 4.5 km GAC
Resolution Eight narrow spectral bands 0.402-0.888 nm >
402-422 nm (violet)
433-453 nm (violet-blue)
480-500 nm (blue)
Spectral Bands 500-520 nm (green)
545-565 nm (green)
660-680 nm (red)
745-785 nm (near-IR)
845-885 nm (near-IR)
Orbit Type Sun Synchronous at 705 km
Nodal Crossing Noon +20 min, descending
Orbital Period 99 minutes
Swath Width 2,800 km LAC/HRPT (58.3 degrees); 1,500 km GAC
(45 degrees)
Revisit Time 1 day
Calibration On-board solar diffuser calibration update reference
Lunar Calibration Monthly maneuver
Digitization 10 bits
Sun glint +/- 20 degree sensor fore-aft tilt
avoidance
Mission Life > 12 years [4].
4. WorldView-2
Launched on October 6, 2009 by United States of
America, WorldView-2 is the most technologically
advanced high resolution satellite ever put into
operation. Offering an unparalleled eight bands of 1.84-
meter multispectral data plus a 0.46-meter
panchromatic band, WorldView-2 will expand the
possibilities of remotely sensed data for vegetative
studies; bathymetric research; supervised and
unsupervised classifications; and all other high-end
spectral analysis techniques. WorldView-2 not only offers increased spectral
information, it also has industry leading accuracy, agility and data storage capacity truly
putting this satellite into a class of its own.
WorldView-2 Specifications
Spectral Bands: 8-band Multispectral
(standard blue, green,
red and near-infrared
bands; plus red edge,
coastal, yellow and near-
IR2) & Panchromatic
(black and white)
Resolution: Collected at 0.46-m
Panchromatic & 1.84-m
Multispectral; sold at
0.5-m Panchromatic &
2.0-m Multispectral due
to US government
regulations
Revisit Time: ~ 3.7 days (depends on
latitude)
Positional Accuracy: 12.2-m CE90%, with a
predicted performance
in the range of 4.6 to
10.7-m CE90% (does not
account for topographic
distortions)
Swath Width:
16.4-km at nadir
Archive Dates: Starting in mid-October
2009
Stereo Availability: Archive (as available)
and as new collections
Orbital Altitude: 770-km
[5].
Metreological Satellites
1. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)
2. Earth Observing System (EOS)
1. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)
AVHRR is a five channel scanning radiometer in
visible, near infra-red and infra-red wavelengths for
analysis of hydrological, oceanographic and
meteorological parameters such as vegetation
index (i.e. greenness), clouds, snow and ice cover and sea surface temperatures. Data
are obtained by all the five channels with a resolution of 1 km. The spectral
characteristics and imaging applications of AVHRR are given in table:
Dataset Creator of AVHRR is U.S. Geological Survey. The first AVHRR was a 4-channel
radiometer, first carried on TIROS-N (launched October 1978). This was subsequently
improved to a 5-channel instrument (AVHRR/2) that was initially carried on NOAA-7
(launched June 1981). The latest instrument version is AVHRR/3, with 6 channels, first
carried on NOAA-15 launched in May 1998 [6].
2. Earth Observing System
Phase I of the Earth Science Enterprise was comprised of focused, free-flying satellites,
Space Shuttle missions, and various airborne and ground-based studies. Phase II began
in December of 1999 with the launch of the first Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite
Terra (formerly AM-1). EOS is the first observing system to offer integrated
measurements of the Earth's processes. It consists of a science component and a data
system supporting a coordinated series of polar-orbiting and low-inclination satellites
for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth,
atmosphere, and oceans [7].
REFERENCES:
1. High Resolution Satellite Imagery, http://www.emap-
int.com/products/HighResImagery/, Retrieved on (14-02-2011).
2. IKONOS, http://www.emap-
int.com/aboutUs/satellites/IKONOS/index.html, Retrieved on (14-
02-2011).
3. Quick Bird, http://www.emap-
int.com/aboutUs/satellites/quickBird/index.html, Retrieved on (14-
02-2011).
4. OrbView-2, http://www.geoeye.com/CorpSite/products-and-
services/imagery-sources/, Retrieved on (14-02-2011).
5. World View-2, http://www.satimagingcorp.com/satellite-
sensors/worldview-2.html, Retrieved on (14-02-2011).
6. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR),
http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/documentation/images/CZ
CS_Starter1.gif, Retrieved on (14-02-2011).
7. Earth Observing System,
http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_homepage/description.php,
Retrieved on (14-02-2011).
