| Instrument | Agency | Missions | Status | Type | Measurements &
applications | Technical characteristics |
ASTER
Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer | METI (NASA) | Current: Terra
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | High resolution optical imagers | Surface and cloud imaging with high spatial resolution, stereoscopic observation of local topography, cloud heights, volcanic plumes, and generation of local surface digital elevation maps. Surface temperature and emissivity. ASTER SWIR detectors are no longer functioning due to anomalously high SWIR detector temperatures. ASTER SWIR data acquired since April 2008 are not useable, and show saturation of values and severe striping. All attempts to bring the SWIR bands back to life have failed, and no further action is envisioned. |
| Waveband: | VIS and NIR: 3 bands in 0.52 - 0.86 µm, SWIR: 6 bands in 1.6 - 2.43 µm, TIR: 5 bands in 8.125 - 11.65 µm
VIS, NIR, SWIR, TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | VNIR: 15 m, stereo: 15 m horizontally and 25 m vertical, SWIR: 30 m, TIR: 90 m
Best resolution: 15 m |
| Swath width: | 60 km |
| Accuracy: | VNIR and SWIR: 4% (absolute), TIR: 4 K, Geolocation: 7 m |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | HDF-EOS or GeoTiff |
|
COCTS
China Ocean Colour & Temperature Scanner | CAST | Current: HY-1C, HY-1D, HY-1E
Future: HY-1F
Complete: HY-1A, HY-1B | Operational | Ocean colour instruments | Ocean chlorophyll, ocean yellow substance absorbance, Sea-ice surface temperature. |
| Waveband: | B1: 0.402 - 0.422 µm, B2: 0.433 - 0.453 µm, B3: 0.480 - 0.500 µm, B4: 0.510 - 0.530 µm, B5: 0.555 - 0.575 µm, B6: 0.660 - 0.680 µm, B7: 0.740 - 0.760 µm, B8: 0.845 - 0.885 µm, B9: 10.30 - 11.40 µm, B10: 11.40 - 12.50 µm
VIS, NIR, TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | 1.1 km |
| Swath width: | 3083 km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | |
| Data Format: | |
|
HIRAS-1
Hyperspectral Infrared Atmospheric Sounder-1 | NSMC-CMA (CNSA) | Current: FY-3D
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (vis/IR) | Atmospheric sounding for weather forecasting. |
| Waveband: |
MWIR, TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | 1.1 degree (16 km at nadir) IFOV
Best resolution: 16000 m |
| Swath width: | 2400km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | L-1 data: HDF 5.0 |
|
HIRS/4
High Resolution Infra-red Sounder/4 | EUMETSAT, NOAA | Current: Metop-B
Future: -
Complete: Metop-A, NOAA-18, NOAA-19 | Operational | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | Atmospheric temperature profiles and data on cloud parameters, humidity soundings, water vapour, total ozone content, and surface temperatures. Same as HIRS/3, with 10 km IFOV. |
| Waveband: | VIS - TIR: 0.69 - 14.95 µm (20 channels)
VIS, NIR, SWIR, MWIR, TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | 20.3 km
Best resolution: 20300 m |
| Swath width: | 2240 km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | Native |
|
IKFS-2
IR-Fourier spectrometer | ROSKOSMOS (ROSHYDROMET) | Current: Meteor-M N2-4, Meteor-M N2-3
Future: Meteor-M N2-6, Meteor-M N2-5
Complete: Meteor-3M, Meteor-M N2, Meteor-M N2-1, Meteor-M N2-2 | Operational | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | Atmospheric temperature/humidity profiles, data on cloud parameters, water vapour & ozone column amounts, surface temperature. |
| Waveband: | 5 - 15 µm, more then 5000 spectral channels
TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | 35000-100000 m
Best resolution: 35000 m |
| Swath width: | 1000 km; 1500 km; 2000 km; 2500 km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Constrained Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
IKFS-3
Advanced Fourier spectrometer | ROSHYDROMET | Current: -
Future: Meteor-MP N1, Meteor-MP N2, Meteor-MP N3
Complete: - | Proposed | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | Atmospheric temperature/humidity profiles, data on cloud parameters, water vapour & ozone column amounts, surface temperature. |
| Waveband: | 3,7 - 15,5 µm, more then 8000 spectral channels
MWIR, TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | 35 -100 km
Best resolution: 35 m |
| Swath width: | 1000/2000 km |
| Accuracy: | 0.5 K |
| Data Access: | Constrained Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
IRS
Thermal and Multispectral Scanner | CAST (INPE) | Current: CBERS-4
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (vis/IR) | Earth resources, environmental monitoring, land use. |
| Waveband: | 0.5 - 0.9 µm; 1.55 - 1.75 µm, 2.08 - 2.35 µm; 10.4 - 12.5 µm
VIS, NIR, SWIR, TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | PAN, SWIR: 40 m, TIR: 80 m
Best resolution: 40 m |
| Swath width: | 120 km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
LandIS
Landsat Next Instrument Suite | NASA (USGS) | Current: -
Future: Landsat Next
Complete: - | Proposed | Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (vis/IR) | Measures surface radiance, land cover state and change (e.g., vegetation type), and longwave termal infrared surface emittance. Used as multi-purpose imagery for land applications. |
| Waveband: | VNIR and SWIR: 21 bands from 0.41 - 2.3 µm; TIR: 5 bands from 8.3 - 12 µm
VIS, NIR, SWIR, TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | VNIR and SWIR (broad bands): 10 m; VNIR and SWIR (narrow bands): 20 m; Atmospheric and TIR: 60 m
Best resolution: 10 m |
| Swath width: | 164 km
|
| Accuracy: | Absolute geodetic accuracy of 30 m; relative geodetic accuracy of 9 m (excluding terrain effects); and geometric accuracy of 8 m or better |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
MODIS
MODerate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer | NASA | Current: Terra, Aqua
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (vis/IR) and ocean colour instruments | Data on biological and physical processes on the surface of the Earth and in the lower atmosphere, and on global dynamics. Surface temperatures of land and ocean, chlorophyll fluorescence, land cover measurements, cloud cover (day and night). |
| Waveband: | VIS - TIR: 36 bands in range 0.4 - 14.4 µm
VIS, NIR, SWIR, MWIR, TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | Cloud cover: 250 m (day) and 1000 m (night), Surface temperature: 1000 m
Best resolution: 250 m |
| Swath width: | 2330 km |
| Accuracy: | Long wave radiance: 100 nW/m2, Short wave radiance: 5%, Surface temperature of land: <1 K, Surface temperature of ocean: <0.2 K, Snow and ice cover: 10% |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | HDF-EOS |
|
OTTER Instrument on SBG-TIR
Orbiting Terrestrial Thermal Emission Radiometer (OTTER) on SBG-TIR
| NASA (ASI) | Current: -
Future: SBG-TIR
Complete: - | Being developed | Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (vis/IR) | Thermal radiometer to provide information on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, hydrology, weather, climate, and solid Earth. |
| Waveband: | TIR bands (8 bands up to ~12 µm)
MWIR, TIR |
| Spatial resolution: | 60 meters @ nadir
Best resolution: 60 m |
| Swath width: | Cross-track scanning |
| Accuracy: | Absolute accuracy of ≤ 1 K and Noise Equivalent delta Temperature (NEdT) of ≤ 0.3 K at 300 K |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | TBD |
|