In 2012 there were 24 civil, commercial and military spacecrafts for Earth observation launched, belonging to 13 world countries and organizations. The undisputable leader in the number of launched national Earth remote sensing spacecrafts is again China for the fourth time in a row since 2007 (8 satellites), well outrunning Russia (3 satellites), France (satellites), meteorological Eumetsat organization (2 meteosatellites) and 9 more countries, which launches by one satellite each. Over the past few years the leadership of China in annual RS satellites launch rates was challenged only by the USA (2009) and Germany (2008).
For the first time Venezuela entered the list of the RS Operators, for which China created and launched the first national VRSS-1 spacecraft “Francisco de Miranda”. In 2012 D.P.R.K (North Korea) formally entered the club of “space powers”, launching the first satellite with its own launch vehicle from the national launch pad. Despite official announcements about successful operation of the KMC-3-2 satellite with low resolution Earth observation equipment onboard, there were no records of its functioning on the orbit (North Korean satellite was not included into the launch record statistics).
So, results of 2012 in the total number of launched satellites (24 spacecrafts) with Earth observation equipment onboard have bitten all records over the past 12 years. Within 2000-2007 the RS satellites launch rate constituted 10-19 satellites on average per year. In 2008 – 21 satellites, in 2009 – 22, in 2010 – 14 and in 2011 -23 satellites.
This table includes civil, commercial and military Earth observation satellites with optical and radar equipment, enabling to get images of the Earth at resolutions from 1-4 km up to very high resolution (<1 m). RS satellites for atmosphere, oceans and ice studies, which do not create Earth observation images, as well as educational satellites of nano- and pico-classes with micro-cameras and automatic probes with Moon surface imaging equipment are not included into this table. Military spacecrafts, launched as per secret programs with no information in public media are also not included.
In the type of imaging equipment the majority of spacecrafts (21), launched in 2012, are equipped with optical Earth observation equipment, with 3 satellites of the USA, India and China outfitted with SAR equipment.
Out of 17 new civil, commercial and dual-purpose satellites 6 can be attributed to experimental and scientific ones. Products from only 9 satellites can be accessed on the world and Russian geodata market. Among them are ZY-3 and TH-1-02 satellites (China), RISAT-1 (India), Kanopus-B (Russia), BelKa (Belarus), SPOT 6 and Pleiades-1В (France), Kompsat-3 (Korea) and Gokturk-2 (Turkey). Taking into account the imaging equipment performance, number of products and availability of a global distribution network, most influential on the world RS data market in the nearest future can be SPOT 6, Pleiades-1B and Kompsat-3 satellites. Plans for data distribution from two satellites – VRSS-1 (Venezuela) and HJ-1C (China) are not known yet. Notably, out of 24 launched EO satellites 23 were financed by the state or by an organization, whereas only SPOT 6 satellite is related to the commercial one, designed and fully financed by the European Aerospace company EADS Astrium. Distribution of new RS satellites by country and application is illustrated in Table 2.
Over the past years 3-5 educational nano- and microsatellites with RS cameras are launched annually. Universities from Japan, USA and China are leaders in this segment, which is the result the purpose-oriented state policy of space technology development by the national ministries and space agencies. In 2012 there were 5 nano-satellites from Japan and Romania launched into orbit, as well as the Russian microsatellite “Yubileiny-2”, manufactured at the Siberian Aerospace University in Krasnoyarsk (Table 3). The Japanese cubesats were delivered to ISS and jettisoned from the space station on October 4. From the view point of working out advanced technology the We-Wish nanosatellite with the micro-camera, operating in the IR long-wave length can be of interest. The above satellites are not included into the launch statistics, as they have a short active lifetime and have no impact on the world market of geoinformatics.
In the past years dual-purpose imagery intelligence satellites became popular (usually, with meter and submeter resolution equipment onboard) in the interests of defense and civil agencies. In 2012 four such satellites from China, France, Korea and Turkey were put into orbit. Multi-purpose application of high resolution satellite sources gives a higher economic effect as compared to special ad-hoc systems.
In all, 32 countries and organizations were the operators of approximately 170 spacecrafts with EO equipment onboard, including meteo-satellites by the end of 2012. However, only 12-14 countries can be regarded as the world leaders in remote sensing, which are operators of national EO systems ranging from 2 to 30 spacecrafts. Among them are (in descending order of the satellites number): USA, China, India, Germany, Japan, France, Israel, Russia, Italy, Great Britain, Canada, Eumetsat and ESA.
Largest in number, types of satellites and applications are the RS systems of the USA, European countries, China and India. European countries have united their efforts in space meteorology (Eumetsat) and applied science Earth observation programs (ESA), but at the same time keep on developing national special segments, aimed at solution of most urgent applied tasks. In Russia, following the years of crisis, the fleet of RS satellites has been created basically from scratch. Data on the number of national RS systems in the countries, which performed successful launches of satellites with EO systems in 2012, are shown in Table 4.
China
Main achievement of China in 2012 was the successful launch of imagery intelligence Yoagan-14 satellite to the low orbit of 470 km, which according to Western analysts is a new generation spacecraft of imagery intelligence, equipped with submeter resolution electronic optical system.
Another important achievement for China is the development of the national space cartographic system based on the multi-camera electronic optical stereo systems of two types: civil sub-system on the basis of Zi Yuan-3 spacecraft (ZY, Zi Yuan/Resource); military sub-system on the basis of two satellites, Tyanhuay-1A (launched in 2010) and Tyanhuay-1B (TH, Tyanhuay/Sky Artist). Notably, a Chinese company started for the first time to distribute the products of the military “cartographers” ТН-1 on the world data market in 2012.
Still another achievement was the completion of deployment of the emergency situation monitoring system, consisting of three satellites (“2+1”) as a result of successful launch of HJ-1C radar satellite, which will be a complement to earlier launched HJ-1A/-1B optical satellites (with visible and IR sensors).
Also China fortified its positions in the market of satellites development by the order of countries creating national ERS systems. First national VRSS-1 ERS mini-satellite, manufactured by China for Venezuela, was launched in 2012. Part of its resources China will be using for imaging own territory in exchange to similar use of Chinese satellites’ resources by Venezuela. China has signed contracts for the creation of similar RS systems for Turkmenia, Azerbaijan and Pakistan.
It can be expected that in the nearest future China will actively increase the strength of national multi-component RS system and promote its technology on the market of developing countries. It should be noted that China is purchasing in large volumes space data from western RS Operators, which is still superior in its characteristics to Chinese analogues.
USA
Despite relatively low annual rate of ERS spacecraft launches the USA is still the world leader in this industry, which can be explained by long on-orbit operation (7-10 years) of satellites and high quality of supplied geoinformation products.
Three systems of RS data collection, processing and distribution have been created and operating in the USA: open federal civil, closed federal in behalf of the national intelligence, and dual-purpose commercial system.
The open federal civil system includes civil RS satellites, created on state budget funded as per EOS, Landsat, POES (NOAA) and GOES programs. Information from civil budget-funded satellites has been distributed through the world for free on non-discriminatory basis.
An absolute record of the lifetime in space (almost 28 years) was set by Landsat-5 satellite, which operation was terminated in December 2012, on the eve of the launch of the new LDCM (Landsat-8) spacecraft. Images, collected as per Landsat program since 1972 have been distributed via web-portals of the U.S. Geological Survey. Similar free access policy will remain after the start of the new Landsat-8 operation in 2013.
Orbital testing of the experimental meteo-satellite Suomi NPP launched in 2011 continued in 2012. NASA and NOAA specialists carried out calibration of the VIIRS radiometer and developed processing algorithms, available to the Suomi NPP data reception stations operators’ community. Based on the Suomi NPP satellite the development of perspective JPSS-1/-2 meteo-satellites is ongoing, which after 2017 are to replace NOAA-19 and Suomi NPP on orbit.
Closed federal system of imagery intelligence has been created in the interest of the intelligence community and defense agencies funded by the state budget via closed budget items. In 2012 a new secret satellite was put into 1077/1099 km orbit with negative inclination, named by the amateur astronomers as FIA Radar-2. Multi-component system of imagery intelligence consists of the subsystem of radar intelligence (2 new FIA-Radar-1, -2 satellites and the spacecraft with the old Lacrosse series radar) and the subsystem of very high resolution optical-electrical intelligence (KH-12 satellite) with large-size optical telescopes. In addition, the imagery intelligence may include secret components and the subsystem of tactical imagery intelligence for monitoring facilities and sites in “hot spots, such as Africa, Iran, Middle and Far East and Central Asia, as well as Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by operational orders of the advance commands. Mini-satellites Tacsat-3 (operated suspended in 2012), ORS-1 are used as part of the tactical imagery intelligence. Equipment, installed in cargo bay of secret unmanned OTV mini-shuttles (Operation Test Vehicle), created as per the secret X-37B program, can be also used. 2012 was the last year for the record operation service of the OTV-2 program shuttle and the OTV-3 spacecraft was launched as a replacement.
Resources of dual-purpose commercial satellites, created by the request of the NGA intelligence agency (Enhanced View program), are purchased to increase the productivity of the imagery intelligence system. In 2009 the US Congress approved the “2+2” solution, providing for the purchase of 2 new secret (“exquisite”) satellites and resources from 2 new commercial satellites.
The locomotive of modern satellite geodata market development is the commercial dual-purpose RS system (basically, a form of public-private partnership) of two companies:: GeoEye (GE) and DigitalGlobe (DG), which have 5 submeter resolution satellites (0.41 m — 0.8 m) and over 60% of the world market. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) of the US is the largest source for financing commercial RS industry, purchasing per EnhancedView program over 50% of commercial satellites resources. Both companies, supported by NGA, have been developing 3rd generation satellites GeoEye-2 and WorldView-3 with 25–30 cm resolution (second pair of satellites “2+2” solution), which are to be launched in 2013-2014.
In 2012 President Obama’s administration initiated huge budget cuts, which had an impact on EnhancedView program as well. As a result of prevailing commitment of commercial Operators to defense market two companies took a decision to merge into one — DigitalGlobe, which in its turnover became the largest in the world company, supplying geodata from 5 submeter resolution satellites. Two new satellite construction will be carried on, however 2013 launch plans of GeoEye-2 satellite are postponed and will be verified depending on the market trends and purchase plans of NGA. Apparently, EnhancedView program budget cuts resulted in transformation of the “2+2” solution into a more humble version “2+1”. Creation of a unified Operator of commercial satellites in the USA will enable it to better compete on the world market with the French Astrium GEO company – the new supplier of submeter resolution products.
Europe
In April 2012 the European spacecraft ENVISAT unexpectedly failed. This was the world largest eight-ton civil Earth remote sensing satellite geared with ASAR and 9 sensors. The European Space Agency (ESA) planned to use the old-timer ENVISAT (launched in 2002) until 2014. Due to resulted deficit in radar data ESA started purchasing from Canada resources of RADARSAT-1/-2 for maritime situation monitoring services and expedited fabrication of the satellite Sentinel-1 planned to be launched in 2013. Sentinel-1 will start the succession of prospective European satellites of five types with various sensors intended for data collection for scientific research as well as for GMES information services program applications.
The most significant advance among European countries in 2012 was demonstrated by France that launched new SPOT 6 satellites (1.5 m spatial resolution) and Pleiades-1B (up to 0.5 m spatial resolution). As a result a constellation of 4 Pleiades-1A/1B, SPOT 5/6 satellites was built on orbit, which ensures imaging of any region of Earth within one day. Therefore, France will be able to compete with USA in terms of delivering half-meter resolution color products. The four-satellite system was elaborated and optimized financially. Fabrication of the Pleiades dual-purpose satellites was subsidized by the state; it is operated by the CNES Space Agency, while SPOT 6 and the twin SPOT 7 (to be launched in 2014) were built at the expense of the EADS Astrium Company.
It’s worth adding that due to launching new satellite in the beginning of 2013 operation of the SPOT 4 was terminated. This satellite was launched in 1998 and worked on orbit for almost 15 years. The satellite was deorbited with healthy imaging hardware using the remaining prop in accordance with the policy for minimizing orbital debris.
In 2012 a Russian rocket launched the experimental German mini-satellite TET-1 with optical cameras operating in visible and infrared bands for refining technologies for fire detection from space.
Japan
For the first time in the county’s history Japan launched the commercial carrier rocket Н-2 orbiting the scientific research satellite GCOM-W and the Korean spacecraft with sub-meter resolution electro-optical system Kompsat-3 (Arirang-3).
The scientific spacecraft GCOM-W1 (Global Change Observation Mission) is designed for ocean observations using a scanning VHF radiometer AMRS2 with spatial resolution 5 to 50 km. After the launch the satellite was named Shizuku (translated as “a drop”) and got its place in the so-called A-Train — the constellation of Aura, Calipso, Cloudsat and Aqua Earth remote sensing satellites intended for near real-time measurements of atmospheric, land and ocean parameters. The AMRS2 unit will make it possible to continue research of El-Niño, La Niña and seasonal changes of polar ice cover.
In the beginning of 2013 Japan will launch two imagery intelligence satellites: IGS Radar-4 with SAR and experimental spacecraft IGS Optical-5 Demo with sub-meter resolution electro-optical system. Launches of the civil ALOS-2 satellite with a radio detector and the commercial ASNARO spacecraft geared up with sub-meter resolution electro-optical system are also planned for 2013.
India
The Indian Earth remote sensing satellite constellation was expanded with the second radar satellite RISAT-1 equipped with a multi-functional radar operating in С-band (5.35 GHz). The onboard RISAT-1 radar will ensure imagery of the Earth in five different modes with maximum resolution of 1–3 m in 10 km swath width and general imagery with 50 m resolution in 240 km swath width. Total there are 12 satellites in the national Earth remotes sensing constellation: TES, Resouresat-1, -2, Cartosat-1, -2, -2A, -2B, IMS-1, Megha-Tropiques, Oceansat-2, RISAT-1, -2, as well as two satellites with meteorological hardware at the geostationary orbit.
Korea
In 2012 the Republic of Korea expanded the national space constellation of Earth remote sensing with the third satellite. The new dual-purpose spacecraft Kompsat-3 was designed in cooperation with EADS Astrium and supports imagery with spatial resolution of up to 0.7 m in panchromatic mode and 2.8 m in multispectral mode. As a result the three different types satellites are used in the Korean Earth remote sensing system : the geostationary spacecraft COMS with multispectral Earth imaging sensors with 350 m resolution; Kompsat-2 (IKONOS class) with meter resolution hardware and the new Kompsat-3 with sub-meter resolution optical hardware.
Korea takes consistent steps in building its national imagery intelligence system, which within a year will be joined by Kompsat-3A with infrared band optical hardware for night detailed imagery and Kompsat-5 with meter resolution SAR. A 4 Korean satellite system will be built in the long run for operational imagery observations with optical and radar satellites of high and very high resolution.
Russia
In 2012 for the first time over a long period three satellites with Earth remote sensing hardware were launched in Russia: short lifetime detailed photographic intelligence spacecraft Kosmos – 2480 of Kobalt-M type (Russia is now the only operator of satellites with film photographic hardware in the world); long-awaited mini-satellite for Earth detailed imagery Kanopus-V and the experimental scientific mini-satellite Zond-PP.
A long-expected success of the national Earth remote sensing program was the commissioning of the Kanopus-V satellite along with the same type BelKA satellite of the Republic of Belarus. Despite relatively limited performance of the imaging hardware satellites demonstrated high imagery quality with resolution up to 2.1 m in the panchromatic channel of the panchromatic camera (23 km swath width) and 10 m in 4 spectral channels of visible and near IR bands of the multispectral camera (20 km swath width).
Along with the Kanopus-B satellite in the cluster launch the scientific Zond-PP was orbited, which is based on the Karat mini-platform by the Lavochkin Scientific Production Association. The experimental satellite is fitted with an L-band radiometer designed by the RAS Kotelnikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, a multispectral camera and the first national hyper-spectrometer for imagery in 150 spectral channels (designed by Lepton Company). Detailed description of optical hardware is missing in open sources but images received from the satellite were published. For comparison, civil hyper spectrometers have already been operating on the satellites ЕО-1 (USA) since 2000, Proba-1 (Europe) since 2001, HJ-1A (China) and IMS-1 (India) since 2008.
In 2012 Roskosmos held a tender for building a new four-satellite system for Earth operational satellite monitoring Obzor-O, which was won by the Khrunichev State Space Scientific and Production Center. The cost of the contract is 4.66 billion rubles. It is planned to launch the first Obzor-O satellite with electro-optical hardware for Earth multispectral imagery having 7 m resolution in the period before 2015. According to the description the system under design is similar to the RapidEye multi-satellite system in terms of specifications. In December 2012 the tender was announced for a new radar monitoring system Obzor-R estimated at 3.6 billion rubles with the similar program Arkon-2M having been closed shortly before then. Development of Earth remote sensing satellites of the Arktika and Kartograf systems is continued.
Closure of old and appearance of new Earth remote sensing programs, abundance of prospective “long-term” projects with still quite modest orbiting progress – such processes are not to advantage of the modern Earth remote sensing industry in Russia.
Plans for 2013
Brief information on planned launches of satellites with Earth imaging hardware in 2013 is given in Table 5. The most significant events for the World Geodata Market could be the already implemented launch of the Landsat-8 satellite (USA) and the prospective satellites Sentinel-1 (ESA), SEOSAT (Spain), ALOS-2 and ASNARO (Japan). Plans for 2013 published in the press mention at least 6 national civil satellites Resurs-P # 1 and # 2, Kanopus-ST, Elektro-L #2, Kondor-E, and Meteor-M #2. The most advanced of those are Resurs-P satellites.
