Future of Remote Sensing

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(4) As government sponsored programs have become increasingly commercialized

and other countries develop their own remote sensors, NASA's focus has shifted from

sensor development to data sharing. NASA's Data Acquisition Centers serves as a clear-

ing-house for satellite data; these data can now be shared via the internet.

f. France's SPOT Satellite System. As a technology, remote sensing continues to ad-

vance globally with the introduction of satellite systems in other countries such as France,

Japan, and India. France's SPOT (Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terra) has provided

reliable high-resolution (20 to 10 m resolution) image data since 1986.

(1) The SPOT 1, 2, and 3 offer both panchromatic data (P or PAN) and three bands

of multispectral (XS) data. The panchromatic data span the visible spectrum without the

blue (0.51-0.73 m) and maintains a 10-m resolution. The multispectral data provide 20-

m resolution, broken into three bands: Band 1 (Green) spans 0.500.59 m, Band 2 (Red)

spans 0.610.68 m, and Band 3 (Near Infrared) spans 0.790.89 m. SPOT 4 also sup-

plies a 20-m resolution shortwave Infrared (mid IR) band (B4) covering 1.58 to 1.75 m.

SPOT 5, launched in spring 2002, provides color imagery, elevation models, and an im-

pressive 2.5-m resolution. It houses scanners that collect panchromatic data at 5 m reso-

lution and four band multispectral data at 10-m resolution (see Appendix D-"SPOT" file).

(2) SPOT 3 was decommissioned in 1996. SPOT 1, 2, 4, and 5 are operational at

the time of this writing. For information on the SPOT satellites go to

g. Future of Remote Sensing. The improved availability of satellite images coupled

with the ease of image processing has lead to numerous and creative applications. Re-

mote sensing has dramatically brought about changes in the methodology associated with

studying earth processes on both regional and global scales. Advancements in sensor

resolution, particularly spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution, broaden the possible

applications of satellite data.

(1) Government agencies around the world are pushing to meet the demand for re-

liable and continuous satellite coverage. Continuous operation improves the temporal

data needed to assess local and global change. Researchers are currently able to perform a

30-year temporal analysis using satellite images on critical areas around the globe. This

time frame can be extended back with the incorporation of digital aerial photographs.

(2) Remote sensing has established itself as a powerful tool in the assessment and

management of U.S. lands. The Army Corps of Engineers has already incorporated this

technology into its nine business practice areas, demonstrating the tremendous value of

remote sensing in civil works projects.

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