Earth Observation/Remote Sensing Satellites
Satellite Design
2018 – EO/RS Meteorology – Snapshot
In 1900, a hurricane defied U.S. Weather Service predictions and destroyed Galveston, Texas. The highest part of the island on which the city rests is about 2.75 meters (9 feet)…
2018 – EO/RS Satellite Manufacturers – Snapshot
Three manufacturers accounted for 47% (83) of all EO/RS satellites deployed in 2018: Planet, Spire Global, and the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). Planet and Spire also operate the…
2018 – EO/RS Satellite Operators – Snapshot
The countries with spacecraft operators operating the most EO/RS satellites deployed in 2018 were in the U.S. and China. Combined, operators from these two countries accounted for 42% (73) of…
2018 – EO/RS Satellites Payload Type Breakdown – Snapshot
Optical payloads constituted the largest share of the payloads of the 176 EO/RS satellites deployed during 2018, 82% (144); they were deployed primarily to collect images of Earth’s surface and…
2018 – EO/RS Satellites Mission Segment Breakdown – Snapshot
Of the 176 EO/RS satellites deployed in 2018, a majority, 56% (98), were deployed for commercial purposes. The 98 satellites are a decline from the number of commercial EO/RS satellites…
2017 – Military Satellites – Snapshot
National security drives national efforts to acquire and operate military satellites. While there some exceptions, most military satellites have very similar capabilities as their commercial counterparts, but hardening, extreme reliability,…
2017 – Surface Imaging – Snapshot
Surface imaging satellites observe, monitor, and track changes and developments on the Earth’s surface using a variety of optical or electronic imaging capabilities. Earth observation (EO) satellites deployed in 2017…
2017 – Meteorology – Snapshot
Only three satellites with a dedicated meteorological focus were deployed during 2017—less than 1% of 443 spacecraft deployed during that year. It was also a drop from the number of…
2016 – Military Reconnaissance – Snapshot
Earth observation used to be the domain of a nation’s civil agencies and military. In 2016, 219 spacecraft were launched or deployed in the Earth’s orbit. More than half, 116,…
2016 – Meteorology – Snapshot
For all of the importance placed on meteorological satellites, they made up a very small part of the 116 Earth observation/remote sensing satellites placed in Earth’s orbit during 2016. With…