Platform	Sensor	Spatial Resolution	Spectral Resolution	Temporal Resolution	Radiometric Resolution	Unique characteristics
Landsat	Multispectral Scanning System (MSS)	80m	0.5-0.6 µm 0.6-0.7 µm 0.7-0.8 µm 0.8-1.1 µm	The current Landsat 5 platform operates from a Sun-synchronous, near-polar orbit, imaging the same 185 km (115 miles) ground swath every 16 days. (18 days for MSS)	All TM bands are quantized as 8 bit data (0-255)	Broad band optical sensor operating from 1972 to 1982.
	Thematic Mapper (TM)	Band 1: 30m Band 2: 30m Band 3: 30m Band 4: 30m Band 5: 30m Band 6: 120m Band 7: 30m	1: 0.45-0.52 µm 2: 0.52-0.60 µm 3: 0.63-0.69 µm 4: 0.76-0.90 µm 5: 1.55-1.75 µm 6: 10.40-12.50 µm 7: 2.08-2.35 µm			Broad band optical sensor operating from 1982 to present
	Enhanced Thematic Mapper (TM+)	High: Nominal ground sample distances or "pixel" sizes are 49 feet (15 meters) in the panchromatic band; 98 feet (30 meters) in the 6 visible, near and short-wave infrared bands; and 197 feet (60 meters) in the thermal infrared band	Wavelength regions similar to TM but includes panchromatic (0.52 – 0.90 um) channel.		4096bit	Broad band optical sensor operating from 1999.
SPOT	High Resolution Visible and Near Infrared (HRVIR)	10 m (panchromatic) 20 m (multispectral)	0.50-0.59µm 0.61-0.68µm 0.79-0.89µm 1.58-1.75µm (mid infrared channel new to SPOT-4)	26 days – pointable sensor capable of observing the same location every three days if requested		See end of document Stereo pairs provided with SPOT – capacity to generate digital elevation models. 60 x 60 km swath width. HRV operating since 1986.
	VEGETATION	1km	Blue: 0.43-0.47 µm Red: 0.61-0.68 µm Near-infrared: 0.78 -0.89 µm Short-wave infrared: 1.58-1.75 µm	Daily		Swath width of 2,250 km.
TERRA-1	MODIS	250m (visible), 500m (visible – NIR), and 1,000m.	36 discrete spectral bands between 0.405 and 14.39 µm. unprecedented channel (centered at 1.375 microns) for detection of cirrus clouds	1-2 days	12 bit	MODIS (or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is the key instrument aboard the Terra (EOS AM-1) satellite. Large (> 1000 km) swath width. All Terra sensors operating since 1999.
	MISR Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer	275m – 360 m common overlap of all 9 cameras	Blue (0.45 µm) Green (0.56µm) Red (0.67 µm) Near Infrared (0.87µm)	Repeat coverage between 2 and 9 days depending on latitude		Allows measurement of directional reflectance properties of atmosphere, land and oceans.
	ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer)	15, 30 and 90 m	1: 0.52 - 0.60 µm Nadir looking 2: 0.63 - 0.69 µm Nadir looking 3: 0.76 - 0.86 µm Nadir looking 4: 1.60 - 1.70 µm 5: 2.15 - 2.19 µm 6: 2.19 - 2.23 µm 7: 2.24 - 2.29 µm 8: 2.30 - 2.37 µm 9: 2.36 - 2.43 µm 10: 8.125 - 8.48 µm 11: 8.48 - 8.83 µm 12: 8.93 - 9.28 µm 13: 10.25 - 10.95 µm 14: 10.95 - 11.65 µm	Repeat period 4-16 days	8 bit Thermal channels (12 bit)	ASTER is only fine spatial resolution instrument on the Terra platform. Unlike other instruments on board Terra, ASTER does not collect data continuously; rather, it will collect an average of 8 minutes of data per orbit.
NOAA	AVHRR	1.1km	1 0.58 - 0.68 µm 2 0.73 - 1.10 µm 3 3.55 - 3.93 µm 4 10.50 - 11.50 µm 5 11.5 - 12.5 µm	Twice daily	1024 (10 bit)	2399 km (1491 mi) wide swath from 833 km above Earth’s surface. Meterological and land surface observations. Operating since 1960s.
RADAR- SAT		8m -100 m depending on mode.	C- (~ 6 cm wavelength)	2-9 days		Single polarised – launched in early 1990s.
ERS-1/2	SAR	26 m	C- (~6 cm)	3-35-day cycle		80-100 km swath – launched in 1990s
	ATSR-1/2	0.5 – 1.0 km	0.65mm, 0.85mm, 1.27mm, 1.6mm, 3.7mm, 11.0mm, 12.0mm	3-35-day cycle		Two looks
JERS-1	SAR	18m x 18m	1275MHz (L- - ~25 cm)	Repeat cycle: 15-44 days		HH polarisation – launched 1992, failed 1998.
AIRSAR	POLSAR	~1m, dependent on altitude	P (0.45 Ghz, 67 cm)  L (1.26 Ghz, 23 cm) C (5.31 Ghz, 5.7 cm)	User request		NASA Aircraft
	TOPSAR	~3m, dependent on altitude	P- (68cm) - polarimetric L- (24cm) – single polarised C- (5.6cm) – single polarised	User request		NASA Aircraft
Hyper spectral	CASI	Altitude dependent – 60 cm upwards	14 waves, 400nm-1000nm, visible to near infrared - programmable	User request	12 bit	Used on light aircraft
	AVIRIS	20m	400 to 2500 nanometers (nm): over 200 s	User request	12 bit	NASA Aircraft
	HYMAP	2-10 m spatial resolution	100 - 225 s; widths of 10 - 20 nm	User request	12 bit	Signal:noise ratio > 500:1 Uses standard aerial camera ports
	Hyperion	30km	220 spectral s (from 0.4 to 2.5 µm)		12-bit	First hyperspectral satellite sensor
Laser scanners	LVIS	< 10 cm  (in low slope terrain)	1064nm (Near Infrared)	User request		Laser emitted and used to estimate height of objects and ground surface – an active sensor.