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) above sea level. Death toll estimates vary, but at least . . .

2018 – EO/RS Satellite Manufacturers – Snapshot

Three manufacturers accounted for 47% (83) of all EO/RS satellites deployed in 2018: . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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…

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. EO satellites…

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 meteorology satellites deployed in previous years. In 2016, the number of meteorology satellites . . .

2016 – Military Reconnaissance – Snapshot

Earth observation used to be the domain of a nation’s civil agencies and military. In 2016, ## spacecraft were launched or deployed in the Earth’s orbit. More than ##, ##, of those spacecraft were launched with an Earth observation mission. Some commercial Earth observation satellites even carry infrared sensor payloads, which at one time were only found aboard the military’s…

2016 – Meteorology – Snapshot

For all of the importance placed on meteorological satellites, they made up a very small part of the ## Earth observation/remote sensing satellites placed in Earth’s orbit during 2016. With a total of ## satellites, ## meteorological-focused satellites were launched or deployed in 2016 than in 2015, during which ## of the satellites with this core mission were deployed. The…

Earth Observation/Remote Sensing Satellites