UNIT-3

REMOTE SENSING PLATFORMS AND SENSORS

 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING

SATELLITE:
Satellite is any object man made or natural
that revolves around the earth
TYPES OF ORBITS:
• Low Earth Orbit (LEO) < 2000 km
• Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) 2000-35786 km
• High Earth Orbit (HEO) > 35786 km
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING

Low Earth Orbit:

Polar orbiting satellites:
• Satellite is pass above the
earth poles
• High resolution of images
is possible
• Crosses the equator at 90⁰
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING

Low Earth Orbit:

Polar orbiting satellites:
• The advantage is every time the satellite view the
newer segment on the earth surface because of
earth’s rotation
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING
Sun Synchronous Orbit
• Angle of inclination of
the orbit with respect
to the sun through out
the year is same
• Always crosses the
equator precisely the
same local sun time
• Mostly used for remote
sensing
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING
Sun Synchronous Orbit
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING
Near polar orbit
• Orbital plane inclined
at small angle with
respect to the earth
rotational axis
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING
High Earth Orbit
Geo stationary orbit
• The satellite placed in
this orbit is stationary
with respect to the earth
• View the same area of
the earth at all times
• View 50% of global
surface (60⁰N to 60⁰S)
• Orbital period is 24 hours
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING
High Earth Orbit
Geo stationary orbit
Advantages :
• Useful for
meteorological
observation
• And also for commercial
broadcast and
communication purpose
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING
High Earth Orbit
Geo stationary orbit
Dis-Advantages:
• Low resolution
• Approximately a pixel
size of 2.5 km on the
ground
• Less information is
obtained
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING

Choice of orbit:
• It is dependent on the its mission
• Remote sensing satellites placed in LEO
because it needs high resolution
• Commercial broadcast or Communication
satellites are provided in HEO because it
should receive and send signals from large
geographical are
 ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING

Shapes of
orbits:
ORBITS OF REMOTE SENSING
 REMOTE SENSING PLATFORMS

Types of platforms :
 Ground based platforms
Short range systems(50-100 m)
Medium Range Systems ( 150-250 m)
Long range Systems (up to 1 km)
 Airborne platforms
 Space-borne platforms
 REMOTE SENSING PLATFORMS

Types of platforms :
Ground Based Platforms:
Mobile hydraulic platforms (up to 15 m height)
 REMOTE SENSING PLATFORMS

Types of platforms :
Portable Masts
• Unstable in wind conditions
 REMOTE SENSING PLATFORMS

Types of platforms :
Towers:
• Greater rigidity than masts
 REMOTE SENSING PLATFORMS
Types of platforms :
Weather Surveillance Radar
• Detects and tracks
typhoons and cloud masses
 REMOTE SENSING
PLATFORMS
Types of
platforms :
Airborne Platforms:
Balloons based :
• Altitude range is 22-40 km
• Tool to probing the
atmosphere
• Useful to test the
instruments under
development
 REMOTE SENSING
PLATFORMS
Types of platforms :
Airborne Platforms:
Radiosonde:
Measure pressure,
Temperature and
Relative humidity in the
atmosphere
Rawinsonde:
Measure wind velocity,
temperature, pressure
and relative humidity
 REMOTE SENSING
PLATFORMS
Types of platforms :
Aircraft:
Advantages:
• High spatial resolution (20
cm or less)
• Analog photography is
possible (analog photo gives
high resolution)
• Easily change their schedule
to avoid weather problems
• Sensor maintenance and
repair is easy
 REMOTE SENSING
PLATFORMS
Types of platforms :
Aircraft:
Dis Advantages:
• Permission to intrude into foreign airspace is
required
• Many passes to cover larger area
• Swath is much less compare to satellite
• High cost per unit area
 REMOTE SENSING
PLATFORMS
Types of platforms :
Space borne platforms:
• Sensors are mounted on-
board a spacecraft
• Rockets , satellites and
space shuttles
Advantages :
• Cover large area
• Repetitive coverage of an
area of interest
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Sensor :
Common Definition :
• Sensors are Sophisticated devices that are
frequently used to detect and respond to
electrical or optical signals
• A Sensor converts the Physical parameter
into a signal which can be measured
electrically
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Sensor :
Definition in Remote Sensing :
• Sensor is a device that gathers energy (EMR)
converts into signal and present it into a signal and
present it in a form (image) suitable for obtaining
information about the objet under investigation
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Types of sensors :
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Types of sensors :
Active sensors:
These sensors detect reflected responses
from objects which are irradiated from
artificially generated energy sources
Ex : Radar, camera with flash light
Passive sensors:
These sensors detect reflected EMR from
natural source
Ex : camera without flash light (depends on
solar energy), and all RS sensors
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Types of sensors :
Non Scanning or Framing sensors:
Measure the radiation coming from entire scene at
once
Ex: Our eyes, Photo cameras
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Types of sensors :
Imaging sensors:
Form image by collected
radiation
1. Scanning sensors:
The scene is sensed by
point by point or measure
the radiation coming from
point by point (equivalent
to small areas with in the
scene)
Along track Scanners:
Image is acquired by line by
line
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Types of sensors :
Across track Scanners:
Image is acquired by pixel by pixel
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Types of sensors :
2. Non imaging sensors:
• These sensors do not form the image
• These are used to record spectral
quantity or parameter as a function of
time
Ex: temperature measurement, study of
atmosphere
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Types of
sensors :
Image Plane Scanning:
Lens is used after the
scan mirror to focus
the light on the
detector
REMOTE SENSING SENSORS
Types of
sensors :
Object Plane Scanning:
Lens is placed before
the scan mirror to
focus the light on
the detector
CHARECTERISTICS OF SENSORS

1. Spatial resolution
2. Spectral resolution
3. Radiometric resolution
4. Temporal resolution
CHARECTERISTICS OF SENSORS
Spatial resolution
• It refers to the size of the
smallest possible object
that can be detected
• It depends on the
Instantaneous Field Of
View (IFOV) and the
height of the satellite
orbit
• It tells the pixel size on
the ground surface
CHARECTERISTICS OF SENSORS
Spatial resolution
CHARECTERISTICS OF SENSORS
Spatial resolution
CHARECTERISTICS OF SENSORS
Spatial resolution
CHARECTERISTICS OF SENSORS
Spectral resolution
• It describes the ability of a sensor to define fine
wavelength ranges
• Sand is appear as coarser in finer wavelength bands
CHARECTERISTICS OF SENSORS
Radiometric resolution
• It describes the ability of sensor to discriminate very
slight differences in energy
• The number of brightness levels depends upon the
number of bits used
CHARECTERISTICS OF SENSORS
Radiometric resolution
CHARECTERISTICS OF SENSORS
Temporal resolution
It refers to how often it records imagery of a
particular area, which means the frequency
of repetitive coverage