08/12/2024
Landsat
Agency: NASA/USGS.
Launch Timeline: 1972 (Landsat-1) to 2021 (Landsat 9).
Spatial Resolution: 15β120 m (depending on the band).
Temporal Resolution: 16 days.
Spectral Bands: 7β11 bands (varies by satellite).
Swath Width: 185 km.
Data Archive: 50+ years.
Key Applications: Land cover, urban growth, agriculture.
Cloud Coverage Handling: Limited but improving with Landsat 9.
Thermal Band Availability: Yes (Landsat 7β9).
Strengths: Ideal for long-term trend analysis with medium resolution.
Data Cost: Free.
Sentinel
Agency: European Space Agency (ESA).
Launch Timeline: 2014 (Sentinel-1) to Present.
Spatial Resolution: 10β60 m (Sentinel-2 optical).
Temporal Resolution: 5 days (Sentinel-2 optical).
Spectral Bands: 13 bands (Sentinel-2 optical).
Swath Width: 290 km (Sentinel-2).
Data Archive: 10 years.
Key Applications: Vegetation, forestry, disaster monitoring.
Cloud Coverage Handling: High (Sentinel-1 SAR for cloud pe*******on).
Thermal Band Availability: No.
Strengths: Suited for projects requiring high resolution and short revisit times.
Data Cost: Free.
MODIS
Agency: NASA.
Launch Timeline: 1999 (Terra), 2002 (Aqua).
Spatial Resolution: 250 m, 500 m, 1 km.
Temporal Resolution: Daily.
Spectral Bands: 36 bands.
Swath Width: 2,330 km.
Data Archive: 20+ years.
Key Applications: Climate, oceans, atmosphere monitoring.
Cloud Coverage Handling: Challenging in cloudy areas.
Thermal Band Availability: Yes.
Strengths: Best for large-scale environmental or global monitoring.
Data Cost: Free.
By Mashford Mahute.