SENSORS

Sensors

• A sensor is a device that measures and

records electromagnetic energy.
Cameras and Aerial Photography
Cameras and their use for aerial photography are the
simplest and oldest of sensors used for remote sensing of
the Earth's surface.

Cameras are framing systems which acquire a near-

instantaneous "snapshot" of an area (A), of the
surface. Camera systems are passive optical sensors
that use a lens (B) collectively referred to as the optics)
to form an image at the focal plane (C), the plane at
which an image is sharply defined.

Photographic films are sensitive to light from 0.3 μm to

0.9 μm in wavelength covering the ultraviolet (UV),
visible, and near-infrared (NIR).
Panchromatic films are sensitive to the UV and the
visible portions of the spectrum.
Panchromatic film produces black and white images and is
the most common type of film used for aerial photography.
Colour and false colour (or colour
infrared, CIR) photography involves
the use of a three layer film with each
layer sensitive to different ranges of
light. For a normal colour
photograph, the layers are sensitive
to blue, green, and red light - the same
as our eyes. These photos appear to
us the same way that our eyes see the
environment, as the colours resemble
those which would appear to us as
"normal" (i.e. trees appear green, etc.).
In colour infrared (CIR)
photography, the three emulsion
layers are sensitive to green, red,
and the photographic portion of
near-infrared radiation, which are
processed to appear as blue,
green, and red,
respectively. In a false colour
photograph (FCC), targets with
high near-infrared reflectance
appear
red, those with a high red
reflectance appear green, and
those with a high green reflectance
appear blue, thus giving us a "false"
presentation of the targets relative
to the colour we normally perceive
them to be.
Optical Scanner
Thermal Scanner
RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging)
LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
 Multispectral scanning
• Across-Track Multispectral Scanning
• Along-Track Multispectral Scanning
 Across-Track Multispectral
Scanning
• Whisk broom scanning
• Scan the Earth in a
series of lines.
• The lines are oriented
perpendicular to the
direction of motion of
the sensor platform
(i.e. across the swath).

Multispectral scanner (MSS) and thematic mapper (TM) of

LANDSAT, and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
(AVHRR) of NOAA are the examples of Whisk Broom scanners
Along-Track Multispectral Scanning
• Push broom scanning

• Scan the Earth in a series

of lines.

• This also use the forward

motion of the platform to
record successive scan
lines and build up a two-
dimensional image,
perpendicular to the flight
direction.
Linear imaging self scanning (LISS) and Wide Fielf Sensor (WiFS) of IRS
Series, and High Resolution Visible (HRV) of SPOT-1 are the examples of
Push broom scanners
Stereo capability

Off-nadir viewing
enables the creation of
stereo image-pairs.
The larger field-of-
regard (FOR) also
enables a more
frequent revisit time.
 Some medium-resolution satellites
Platform Sensor Res. #B Swath Angle Revisit

Landsat 4 & 5 TM 30 m 7 185 km No 16

days
IRS 1C & 1D LISS-3 24 m 4 142 km No 24
days
Landsat 7 ETM+ 15 m (PAN) 8 185 km No 16
days
Spot 1-3 HRV 10 m (PAN) 3 60 km 27 4-6
days
Spot 4 HRVIR 10 m (PAN) 4 60 km 27 4-6
days
CBERS * HRCC+ 20 m 9 120 km 32 3 days

Terra (EOS AM-1) * ASTER 15 m 14 60 km 24 5 days

* = not operational at 1-10-1999

Some high-resolution satellites

Platform Sensor Res. #b Swath Angle Revisit

IRS 1C & 1D PAN 5.8 m 1 band 70 km 26 5 days

Cosmos KVR-1000 2 m 1 band 160 km
EROS A+ * CCD 2 m 1 band 12.5 km 45 3 days
Ikonos OSA 1 m 4 bands 11 km 45 1-3 days
OrbView-3* PAN 1 m 4 bands 8 km 45 3 days
QuickBird * QBP 1 m 4 bands 27 km 30 1-3 days
* = not operational at 1-10-1999
 Spectral Resolution

Panchromatic Multi Spectral Hyper Spectral

 Panchromatic Image :-
A panchromatic image is a black and
white image which consists of one
spectral band ranging from 0.4-0.7
micrometers which is in visible range.
 Multispectral Image :-
A multispectral image means that they
can detect in several discrete bands. It is
the width of these bands that spectral
resolution refers too.
Example:- A multispectral IKONOS
image consists of four bands: Blue,
Green, Red and Near Infrared, while a
Landsat TM multispectral image
consists of seven bands: blue, green,
red, near-IR bands, two SWIR bands,
and a thermal IR band.

 Hyperspectral Image :-
A hyperspectral image consists of
about a hundred or more continuous
spectral bands. The characteristic
spectrum of the target pixel is acquired
in a hyperspectral image.
Example:- NASA's EO1 satellite has
the Hyperion sensor . [ Hyperspectral image of Benthic habitats around Virgin
islands, national Park, St. John, U.S ]
 Earth Observation Satellites/sensors & their
Characteristics

1. Landsat
2. SPOT
3. IRS
4. IKONOS
5. QuickBird
6. Cartosat-1 & 2
Landsat-1 was primarily designed as an experimental system to test the feasibility of
collecting earth resources data from unmanned satellites. It covers earth once every
18 days or 20 times a year.

http://landsat.usgs.gov/
 Landsat: The Multispectral Scanner

Light is
gathered
through a
ground-
pointing
telescope
(not shown)

The scan mirror oscillates back and forth producing a beam width
of 11.56 degrees that from an orbital altitude of 917 km (~570
miles) "sees" a swath width (Angular Field of View or AFOV)
across the orbital track of 185 km (115 miles).
 Landsat: The Multispectral Scanner

During a forward scan, which takes about

3.3 milliseconds, a ground strip of ~ 474 m
(1540 ft) is swept from one side of the track
to the other.

Reflected light gathered by this scan is

passed through an optical train during
which it is partitioned through 4 filters that
produce spectral bands at 0.5 - 0.6 µm
(green), 0.6 - 0.7 µm (red), 0.7 - 0.8 µm
(photo-IR), and 0.8 - 1.1 µm (near-IR).

Light through each filter reaches its set of six electronic detectors (24 in all) that subdivide the cross-track
scan into 6 parallel lines, each equivalent to a ground width of 79 m (259 ft). The mirror movement rate
is such that, at the orbital speed of 26690 kph (16680 mph), after the return oscillation the next forward
swing produces a new path of 6 lines (79 x 6 = 474 m) just sidelapping the previous group of 6 lines.
 Landsat: The Multispectral Scanner

System Lounch (End Of Service) Res (m) Alt (km) R (days)

Landsat 1 7/23/1972 (1/6/1978) 80 (RBV), 80 (MSS) 917 18
Landsat 2 1/22/1975 (2/25/1982) 80 (RBV), 80 (MSS) 917 18
Landsat 3 3/5/1978 (3/31/1983) 30 (RBV), 80 (MSS) 917 18
Landsat 4 16-07-1982 80 (MSS), 30 (TM) 705 16
Landsat 5 01-03-1984 80 (MSS), 30 (TM) 705 16
Landsat 6 10/5/1993 (10/5/1993) 15 (PAN), 30 (MS) 705 16
Landsat 7 Dec-98 15 (PAN), 30 (MS) 705 16
 Landsat: The Thematic Mapper

Band Wavelength Spectral Resolution

No. Interval (µm) Response (m)
1 0.45 - 0.52 Blue-Green 30
2 0.52 - 0.60 Green 30
3 0.63 - 0.69 Red 30
4 0.76 - 0.90 Near IR 30
5 1.55 - 1.75 Mid-IR 30
6 10.40 - 12.50 Thermal IR 120
7 2.08 - 2.35 Mid-IR 30
The SPOT orbit is circular, sun-synchronous
The SPOT payload

The SPOT payload comprises two

identical HRV (High Resolution Visible)
imaging instruments and a payload
telemetry package for image
transmission to ground receving
stations.

The position of each HRV entrance

mirror can be commanded by ground
control to observe a region of interest
not necessarily vertically beneath the
satellite. Thus, each HRV offers an
oblique viewing capability, the viewing
angle being adjustable through +/-
27deg. relative to the vertical.
 Table – Characteristics of SPOT series Satellite
No. of Swath
Satellite Launc Spectral Resolution
Types Chann Width
Name h Range (µm) (meters)
els (km)

0.43-0.47 (blue)
0.61-0.68 (red)
Multispect
4 0.78-0.89 (N IR) 1000 120
ral
1.58-1.75
(SWIR)
May 0.5-0.59 (green)
SPOT 5 10
2002 0.61-0.68 (red)
Multispect 10
4 0.79-0.89 (NIR) 60
ral 10
1.58-1.75
20
(SWIR)
Pan 1 0.61-0.68 5 m, 60
Pan 1 0.61-0.68 10 m 60
 Same as
Multispectral 4 I000 120
March SPOT 5
26
SPOT-4 24, Same as
Multispectral 4 20 60 days
1998 SPOT 5
Pan 1 0.61-0.68 10 60
0.5-0.59
1990
SPOT-2 & Multispectral 3 0.61-0.68 20 60 26
&3 March 0.79-0.89 days
1998
Pan 1 0.51-0.73 10 60
Same as
Multispectral 3 20 -do-
Spot 2 26
SPOT-1 1986
Same as days
Pan 1 10 -do-
Spot 2
 IRS-LISS Camera

IRS-1A AND 1B
•Two payloads employing Linear Imaging Self Scanning(LISS)
Sensors.
•A Camera operating in four bands(B1,B2,B3,B4) in the 0.45-0.86
region with geometric resolution of 72.5 m and swath of 148.48
KM. This camera is called LISS-I.
•Two cameras(LISS-II) operating in four bands in the 0.45 –0.86
micrometers with geometric resolution of 74.2 m.
SENSOR CHARACTERISTICS OF IRS-1C AND IRS-1D

63-90 km 127 km 728 km

3/7 days 25 days 3/7 days

IRS-P4 (Oceansat-1)

•IRS-P4 carrying an Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) and a Multi-frequncy

Scanning Microwave Radiometer I(MSMR) launched on May 26 1999.
•
•OCM has 8 narrow spectral bands operating in visible and near-infrared bands
(402-885 nm) with a spatial resolution of 350 m and swath of 1500 kms.

• IRS P4 OCM thus provides highest spatial resolution compared to any other
contemporary satellites in the international arena during this time frame.

• The MSMR with its all weather capability is configured to have measurements at
4 frequencies (6.6, 10.6, 18 & 26 GHZ) with an overall swath of 1500 km.

• The spatial resolution is 120, 80, 40 and 40 km for the frequency bands of 6.6.,
10.6, 18 and 26 GHz.

• MSMR will also be in a way a unique sensor as no other passive microwave

radiometer is operational in the civilian domain today and will be useful for study
of both physical oceanographic and meteorological parameters.
IRS-P5 (CARTOSAT-1)

LAUNCHING DATE 05.05.2005

 ISRO has successfully placed
CARTOSAT-1 (IRS - P5) in the earth’s orbit
by PSLV-C6 from the Sriharikota launch pad
in India on 5th May 2005.

It is the eleventh satellite built in the

Indian Remote Sensing (IRS).

CARTOSAT-1 satellite has a life of around 5

years and is a state-of-the-art remote sensing
satellite built by ISRO which is mainly intended for
applications in cartography, terrain modeling, etc.
CARTOSAT-1 carries two Panchromatic (PAN) cameras
that take black and white stereoscopic pictures of the earth
in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The
swath covered by these high resolution PAN cameras is 30
km and their spatial resolution is 2.5 metres. The cameras
are mounted on the satellite in such a way that near
simultaneous imaging of the same area from two different
angles is possible. This facilitates the generation of
accurate three-dimensional maps. The cameras are
steerable across the direction of the satellite’s movement to
facilitate the imaging of an area more frequently. The
images taken by CARTOSAT-1 cameras are compressed,
encrypted, formatted and transmitted to the ground stations.
The cameras operate in the 0.5 – 0.75 µm wavelengths and
are tilted +26 deg and -5 deg along the track.
Cartosat-1 PAN Sensor

Real time stereo viewing

Satellite Path
 SPATIAL RESOLUTION 2.5
m
 Two Pan cameras - fore
with 26 deg.
Fore look Aft look and aft with -5 deg.
 8 km overlap between
adjacent paths
 10 bits
 Facility for across track tilt
to give better revisit
 IRS P5 (CARTOSAT-1) Orbital Specifications
618 km high, circular Polar Sun
Orbit synchronous
Orbit Inclination 98.87 deg
Orbital period 97 min
Number of orbits per day 14
Local time of equator crossing 10.30 AM
Repetivity 126 days
Revisit 5 days
Lift-off mass 1560 Kg
Payload PAN Fore +26 Deg
PAN Aft -5 Deg
Instantaneous Geometric Field < 2.5 m
of View ( IGFOV)
Swath 30 Km
Spectral Band 0.50-0.85 Micron
Launched on 5th May 2005
•Camera Specifications:

•Instantaneous Geometric : < 2.5 m Field of View (IGFOV)

•Swath : 30 km
•Spectral Band : 0.50-0.85 micron
•Data rate : 105 Mbps for each camera
•Solid State Recorder: 120 GB capacity for image data storage
•Quantisation: 10bit
 Table- Details about other IRS Satellites

Resolut
No. of Swath
Satellite Sensor Spectral ion Revisi
Launch Types Band Width
Name s Range (microns) (meters t Time
s (km)
)
0.52-0.59 (green)
Multisp 3 0.62-0.68 (red)
AWiFS 56 740 5 day
ectral 0.77-0.86 (NIR)
1 1.55-1.70 (SWIR)
0.52-0.59 (green)
IRS-P6
October Multisp 3 0.62-0.68 (red)
Resourc LISS-III 23 142
17, ectral 0.77-0.86 (NIR)
e
2003
sat 1 1.55-1.70 (SWIR)
24-25
0.52-0.59 (green) 23.9 days
0.62-0.68 (red) MX
LISS- Multisp mode
3 5.8
IV ectral 70
0.77-0.86 (NIR) PAN
mode
 Table- Details about other IRS Satellites contd...

Swath
Satellite No. of Spectral Resolution Revisit
Launch Sensors Types Width
Name Bands Range (microns) (meters) Time
(km)

Multispec 1420
OCM 8 0.4 - 0.885 360 m
IRS-P4 tral km
May 26,
(Oceans 120, 80, 40 2 days
1999 6.6,10.65, 18, 21 1360
at) MSMR RADAR 4 and 40
GHz km
kms
Multispec 0.62-0.68 (red)
WiFS 2 189 774 5 day
tral 0.77-0.86 (NIR)
0.52-0.59 (green)
Septem
IRS-1D ber 29, Multispec 3 0.62-0.68 (red) 23 142
1997 LISS-III 24-25
tral 0.77-0.86 (NIR)
days
1 1.55-1.70 (SWIR) 70 148
PAN PAN 1 0.50-0.75 6 70
 Table- Details about other IRS Satellites contd…
0.62-0.68 (red)
Multisp
WiFS 2 189 810 5 day
ectral
0.77-0.86 (NIR)

Decemb 0.52-0.59(green)
IRS-1C er 28,
Multisp 3 0.62-0.68 (red) 23.6 142
1995
LISS-III 24-25
ectral
0.77-0.86 (NIR) days

1 1.55-1.70(SWIR) 70.8 148

PAN PAN 1 0.50-0.75 5.8 70

0.45-0.52

Multisp 0.52-0.59
LISS-I 4 72.5 148
ectral
0.62-0.68
IRS-1B 1991 22 days
0.77-0.86 (NIR)

Multisp
LISS-II 4 Same as LISS I 36.25 74
ectral

Multisp
LISS-I 4 72.5 148
ectral Same as
IRS-1A 1988 22 days
IRS- 1B
Multisp
LISS-II 4 36.25 74
ectral
 CARTOSAT – 2

LAUNCHING DATE

10.01.2007
ON-ORBIT CONFIGURATION OF CARTOSAT-2 SATELLITE

PAYLOAD : PAN : 0.8 M

SWATH : 9.6 km

SPACECRAFT WEIGHT: 680 KGS

ORBIT : 632 KM

REVISIT : 4/5 DAYS

EQUATORIAL CROSS
OVER TIME : 9:30 AM

LAUNCHED ON : 10TH JAN 2007

Salient Features

•Orbit : Circular Polar Sun Synchronous

•Orbit height : 635 km
•Orbit inclination : 97.90 deg
•Orbit period : 97.4 min
•Number of Orbits per day : 14
•Local Time of Equator Crossing: 09.30 AM
•Repetivity : 310 days
•Revisit : 4 days
•Lift-off Mass : 1560 kg
•Mission Life : 5 years
•Payloads : One PAN Camera with 450 tilt
•Camera Specifications:

•Instantaneous Geometric : < 0.8 m Field of View (IGFOV)

•Swath : 9.6 km
•Spectral Band : 0.50-0.85 micron
•Data rate : 336 Mbps for each camera
•Solid State Recorder: 64 GB capacity for image data storage
•Quantisation: 10bit
APPLIACTION :-

Digital Elevation Models (DEM)

GIS applications
Generation and updating of large-scale topographic
maps.

Urban and rural development

Environment impact assessment

Disaster assessment

Land and water resources management

 HIGH RESOLUTION
SATELLITE
IKONOS

IKONOS-2 was delivered to Space Imaging, September

24, 1999 from Space Launch Complex 6(SLC-6) at
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
 IKONOS SATELLITE DETAILS

PAYLOAD :PAN : I M RESOLUTION

MS : 4 M, 4 BANDS

SWATH : 11 KMS

SPACECRAFT MASS : 720 KGS

ORBIT : 680 KM

REVISIT : EVERY 3 DAYS

EQUATORIAL CROSS
OVER TIME : 10:30AM
 IKONOS SPECIFICATIONS
ORBIT Sun Synchronous, (98.1 degree)
Spatial Resolution Panchromatic : 1.0 meter
Multi-spectral : 4.0 meter
Spectral Resolution 1 panchromatic band
4 multispectral band
Blue - 0.45 – 0.52 µm
Green - 0.52 – 0.60 µm
Red - 0.63 – 0.69 µm
NIR - 0.76 – 0.90 µm
Radiometric resolution 11-bits per pixel
Temporal resolution : 11 days

Orbit Speed : 7.5 kilometers per second

Speed Over the Ground : 6.8 kilometers per second

Altitude : 681 kilometers

Swath : 11.3 kilometers at nadir

13.8 kilometers at 26° off-nadir

Equator Crossing Time : Nominally 10:30 AM

Revolutions Around the Earth : 14.7 times in every 24 hours

QUICKBIRD SATELLITE

LAUNCHING DATE
18-October-2001
• Expected Operation 7 years
• Orbital Speed 7 Km/second,or 25,000 Km/hour
• Orbital Altitude 450 km
• Orbital Inclination Polar Sun Synchronous
• Orbital Period 93 minutes
• Equatorial Transit 10:30 a.m. on a southward
heading
• Revisit Time 1 to 3.5 days with up to 30º off-
nadir viewing
• Swath Width 16.5 km
• Digitization 11 bits
• Spatial Resolution
Panchromatic
0.61 m at nadir
0.72 m at 25º off-nadir
Multi-spectral
2.44 m at nadir,
2.88 m at 25º off-nadir.

• Radiometric Resolution
Pan: 450-900nm
Blue: 450 - 520 nm
Green: 520 - 600 nm
Red: 630 - 690 nm
NIR: 760 - 900 nm
 GeoEye-1 Satellite (ex OrbView 5)

Launch Date Q3 2007 (estimated)

Operational Life Over 10 years
Orbital Altitude 684 kilometers
Resolution at
0.41 m panchromatic; 1.65 m multispectral
Nadir
Image Swath 15.2 kilometers
Equator Crossing
Nominally 10:30 AM solar time
Time
Revisit Time Less than 3 days
Dynamic Range 11-bits per pixel
Image Bands Panchromatic, blue, green, red, near IR
 ORBVIEW-5 (GEOEYE-1)

PAYLOAD : PAN & MS CAMERA

0.41 M PAN
1.64 M MS IN 4 BANDS

SWATH : 15.2 KM

DYNAMIC RANGE : 11 BITS

ORBIT : 684 KM

REVISIT : < 3 DAYS

EQUATORIAL CROSS
OVER TIME : 10:30 AM

LAUNCH DATE : 2007

 EROS-A & B SATELLITES FROM ISRAEL

PAYLOAD : PAN (EROS-A1): 1.8 M

PAN (EROS-B) : 0.8 M

SWATH : 12.6 KMS EROS-B

SPACECRAFT MASS : 250 KG

ORBIT : 490 X 505 KM

EROS-A1

LAUNCHED ON (EROS-A1) : DEC 2000

 PRISM Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping
Onboard ALOS ( Advanced Land Observing Satellite)
Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency

“PRISM” has three independent optical systems for

viewing nadir, forward and backward producing a
stereoscopic image along the satellite’s track.
PRISM observes earth surface with 2.5m spatial resolution

Number of 1 (Panchromatic)
Bands
Wavelength 0.52 to 0.77 micrometers
Number of
3 (Nadir; Forward; Backward)
Optics
Spatial
2.5m (at Nadir)
Resolution
70km (Nadir only) / 35km
Swath Width
(Triplet mode)
 ASTER

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal

Emission and Reflectance
Radiometer ASTER (Japan MITI)

ASTER includes 3 instruments(sub-systems):

VNIR: 15m pixel size on ground, swath 60km

0.52 - 0.60, 0.63 - 0.69, 0.76 - 0.86 µm
nadir + 0.76 - 0.86 backward 27.2° nadir angle  stereo
nadir + backward can be rotated across orbit +/-24° for better cross pointing

SWIR: 30m pixel size on ground, 60km swath

1.6-1.7, 2.145-2.185, 2.165-2.225, 2.235-2.285, 2.295-2.365, 2.369-2.230µm

TIR: 90m pixel size on ground, 60km swath

8.125-8.475, 8.475-8.825, 8.925-9.275, 10.25-10.85, 10.95-11.65µm
 RISAT SAR

FEATURES OF RISAT SAR P/L

High Resolution 1-2 m •ACTIVE PHASED ARRAY
Spotlight Mode resolution, 10 x ANTENNA
(HRS) 10 Km (10x100 •High speed ELECTRONICS
km
•INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGY
Experimental)
Spot •SINGLE/DUAL/QUAD
POLARISATION IMAGING
Fine Resolution 3-6 m
Stripmap resolution 30
Mode-1 (FRS-1) Km swath

Fine Resolution 9-12 m

Stripmap resolution 30
Mode-2 (FRS-2) Km swath

Medium 25 m
Resolution resolution,120
ScanSAR Mode Km swath
(MRS) Fig.-1 Illustration of Modes of Operation of RISAT-SAR Fig.-2 Angular Coverage of RISAR
Coarse 50 m resolution
Resolution 240 Km swath
EDUSAT
ScanSAR LECTURE
Mode RISAT and its Planned Imaging capability
26 th AUGUST2008
(CRS)
Imaging Spectrometer or Hyperspectral imager

• Very narrow(5-10nm) spectral bands(64-256).

• Example: EO-1: Hyperion
• Application:
– Determination of mineral composition.
– Total suspended matter concentration in surface
water.
– Chlorophyll content of surface water.