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Types of Platforms and Scanning Systems

The document discusses different types of platforms used for remote sensing including ground-based, aerial, and satellite platforms. It provides examples of specific satellite platforms like Landsat and describes their orbital periods, inclinations, temporal resolutions, and sensors. The document also discusses the two main types of sensors - passive sensors that record radiation and active sensors that emit energy like lasers. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) uses phase information from successive radar pulses to generate high-resolution images.

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Naga Raja
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247 views

Types of Platforms and Scanning Systems

The document discusses different types of platforms used for remote sensing including ground-based, aerial, and satellite platforms. It provides examples of specific satellite platforms like Landsat and describes their orbital periods, inclinations, temporal resolutions, and sensors. The document also discusses the two main types of sensors - passive sensors that record radiation and active sensors that emit energy like lasers. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) uses phase information from successive radar pulses to generate high-resolution images.

Uploaded by

Naga Raja
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Types of Platforms and Scanning Systems

The vehicle or carrier for a remote sensor to collect and record energy reflected or emitted from a target or surface is called a platform. The sensor must reside on a stable platform removed from the target or surface being observed. Platforms for remote sensors may be situated on the ground, on an aircraft or balloon (or some other platform within the Earth's atmosphere), or on a spacecraft or satellite outside of the Earth's atmosphere.
Typical platforms are satellites and aircraft, but they can also include radio-controlled aeroplanes, balloons kits for low altitude remote sensing, as well as ladder trucks or 'cherry pickers' for ground investigations. The key factor for the selection of a platform is the altitude that determines the ground resolution and which is also dependent on the instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of the sensor on board the platform.

Ground Based Sensors


Ground-based sensors are often used to record detailed information about the surface which is compared with information collected from aircraft or satellite sensors. In some cases, this can be used to better characterize the target which is being imaged by these other sensors, making it possible to better understand the information in the imagery. Ground based sensors may be placed on a ladder, scaffolding, tall building, cherry-picker, crane, etc.

Aerial Platforms
Aerial platforms are primarily stable wing aircraft, although helicopters are occasionally used. Aircraft are often used to collect very detailed images and facilitate the collection of data over virtually any portion of the Earth's surface at any time.

Satellite Platforms
In space, remote sensing is sometimes conducted from the space shuttle or, more commonly, from satellites. Satellites are objects which revolve around another object - in this case, the Earth. For example, the moon is a natural satellite, whereas man-made satellites include those platforms launched for remote sensing, communication, and telemetry (location and navigation) purposes. Salient feature of some important satellite platforms.
Features Nature Altitude (km) Orbital period (minutes) inclination (degrees Temporal resolution Landsat1,2,3 Sun Syn 919 103.3 99 18 Landsat 4,5 Sun Syn 705 99 98.2 16 SPOT Sun Syn 832 101 98.7 26 IRS-IA Sun Syn 904 103.2 99 22 IRS-IC Sun Syn 817 101.35 98.69 24

(days) Revolutions Equatorial crossing (AM) Sensors 251 09.30 233 09.30 369 10.30 307 10.00 341 10.30

RBV, MSS

MSS, TM

HRV

LISS-I, LISS-II

LISS-III, PAN, WIFS

Because of their orbits, satellites permit repetitive coverage of the Earth's surface on a continuing basis. Cost is often a significant factor in choosing among the various platform options.

SENSORS
There are two basic types of sensors:

Passive, and Active sensors.

Passive sensors record radiation reflected from the earth's surface. The source of this radiation must come from outside the sensor; in most cases, this is solar energy. Because of this energy requirement, passive solar sensors can only capture data during daylight hours. The Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor system on the Landsat satellite is a passive sensor. The land cover and change analysis data provided on this CD-ROM were classified using Landsat TM imagery. Active sensors are different from passive sensors. Unlike passive sensors, active sensors require the energy source to come from within the sensor. For example, a laser-beam remote sensing system is an active sensor that sends out a beam of light with a known wavelength and frequency. This beam of light hits the earth and is reflected back to the sensor, which records the time it took for the beam of light to return. Topographic LIDAR laser beach mapping data included on this CD-ROM were collected with an active sensor. Types of Remote Sensors
ACTIVE SENSORS Non-Scanning Non-Imaging. (They are a type of profile recorder, ex. Microwave Radiometer. Magnetic sensor. Gravimeter. Fourier Spectrometer. Imaging. (Example of this are the cameras which can be: Monochrome, Natural Colour, Infrared etc.) Scanning Imaging. Image Plane scanning. Ex. TV Camera, Solid scanner. PASSIVE SENSORS Non-Scanning Non-Imaging. (They are a type of profile recorder, ex. Microwave Radiometer. Microwave Altimeter. Laser Water Depth Meter. Laser Distance Meter. Scanning Imaging. Object Plane scanning: Real Aperture Radar. Synthetic Aperture Radar.

Object Plane scanning. Ex. Optical Mechanical Scanner, Microwave radiometer.

Image Plane Scanning: Passive Phased Array Radar.

What is SAR interferometry ?


Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) produce all weather, day and night, high resolution images of the Earth's surface providing useful information about the physical characteristics of the ground and of the vegetation canopy, such as surface roughness, soil moisture, tree height and bio-mass estimates (Imaging Radar Page at JPL). By combining two or more SAR images of the same area, it is also possible to generate elevation maps and surface change maps with unprecedented precision and resolution. This technique is called SAR interferometry. With the advent of spaceborne radars, SAR interferometry has been applied to the study of a number of natural proceSynthetic Aperture Radar

Picture 1: Radar silhouette of a ship, produced with the ISAR-Processor of the Ocean Master A Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), or SAR, is a coherent mostly airborne or spaceborne sidelooking radar system which utilizes the flight path of the platform to simulate an extremely large antenna or aperture electronically, and that generates high-resolution remote sensing imagery. Over time, individual transmit/receive cycles (PRT's) are completed with the data from each cycle being stored electronically. The signal processing uses magnitude and phase of the received signals over successive pulses from elements of a synthetic aperture. After a given number of cycles, the stored data is recombined (taking into account the Doppler effects inherent in the different transmitter to target geometry in each succeeding cycle) to create a high resolution image of the terrain being over flown.

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