A large, round lake in Quebec, Canada, highlights the geography of an ancient impact crater. In the late Triassic Period, a 3 mile wide meteorite struck northern Pangea at over 30,000 miles per hour. The resulting crater is now 214 million years old, but the dramatic circular lake visible in 2024 Landsat imagery is a surprisingly recent feature.
How can I learn more about remote sensing satellite missions?

The Earth Observing Satellites Online Compendium makes it easy to find satellite data that fits your research or project needs. This comprehensive resource covers technical details for nearly 700 past, current and future land remote sensing satellites and their sensors. You can easily filter results by criteria such as launch date, spectral bands, and orbit type, among others. Each entry provides in-depth information about the satellite’s sensors, availability of data products, and links to the mission webpage.
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Related
What is remote sensing and what is it used for?
What is radiometric resolution?
What is a Landsat satellite constellation?
How do I search for and download Landsat data?
What are Landsat Collections?

A large, round lake in Quebec, Canada, highlights the geography of an ancient impact crater. In the late Triassic Period, a 3 mile wide meteorite struck northern Pangea at over 30,000 miles per hour. The resulting crater is now 214 million years old, but the dramatic circular lake visible in 2024 Landsat imagery is a surprisingly recent feature.

Western and Eastern region eVIIRS Remote Sensing Phenology Start of Season for 2023.
Western and Eastern region eVIIRS Remote Sensing Phenology Start of Season for 2023.
Ocean currents, and the sediments they transport, have constantly shifted the Cape Cod barrier islands over time. Some of the abrupt changes, however, can be linked directly to a storm.
Ocean currents, and the sediments they transport, have constantly shifted the Cape Cod barrier islands over time. Some of the abrupt changes, however, can be linked directly to a storm.
PubTalk-05/2022 - Using Military Remote Sensing Technology to Support Federal Civil Agency Science: Sunk Cost, Well Spent
linkUsing Military Remote Sensing Technology to Support Federal Civil Agency Science: Sunk Cost, Well Spent
By Paul M. Young, Director of the USGS National Civil Applications Center
PubTalk-05/2022 - Using Military Remote Sensing Technology to Support Federal Civil Agency Science: Sunk Cost, Well Spent
linkUsing Military Remote Sensing Technology to Support Federal Civil Agency Science: Sunk Cost, Well Spent
By Paul M. Young, Director of the USGS National Civil Applications Center
Working with the USGS and Pepperwood Preserve, Black Swift Technologies LLC deployed radiometers on a UAS, the Super Swift (S2).
Working with the USGS and Pepperwood Preserve, Black Swift Technologies LLC deployed radiometers on a UAS, the Super Swift (S2).

Information from satellite imagery helped to differentiate areas vulnerable to soil erosion from off-highway vehicle use. For this study we developed a “P-factor” by scaling ground measurements of soil compaction to vehicle disturbances mapped from aerial imagery.
Information from satellite imagery helped to differentiate areas vulnerable to soil erosion from off-highway vehicle use. For this study we developed a “P-factor” by scaling ground measurements of soil compaction to vehicle disturbances mapped from aerial imagery.

Zhuoting Wu, research ecologist at the USGS Western Geographic Science Center, explains how the USGS uses remote sensing technology to help Tribal communities better understand the effects of climate change.
Zhuoting Wu, research ecologist at the USGS Western Geographic Science Center, explains how the USGS uses remote sensing technology to help Tribal communities better understand the effects of climate change.

Land Remote Sensing Image of Mount St. Helens on May 22, 1983. The volcanic blast on May 18, 1980, devastated more than 150 square miles of forest within a few minutes. In this Landsat false-color images, forest appears as bright red interspersed with patches of logging. Snow appears white, and ash is gray.
Land Remote Sensing Image of Mount St. Helens on May 22, 1983. The volcanic blast on May 18, 1980, devastated more than 150 square miles of forest within a few minutes. In this Landsat false-color images, forest appears as bright red interspersed with patches of logging. Snow appears white, and ash is gray.
USGS scientist Bernard Hubbard conducting spectral measurements of soils and cover crops to ground truth satellite imagery being used to map soil erosion and runoff potential into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
USGS scientist Bernard Hubbard conducting spectral measurements of soils and cover crops to ground truth satellite imagery being used to map soil erosion and runoff potential into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Earth observation remote sensing tools—Assessing systems, trends, and characteristics
Remote sensing for monitoring mine lands and recovery efforts
2022 Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation—Remote sensing satellite compendium
2020 Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation—Remote sensing satellite compendium
2019 Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation—Land remote sensing satellite compendium
Remote sensing of river flow in Alaska—New technology to improve safety and expand coverage of USGS streamgaging
Related
What is remote sensing and what is it used for?
What is radiometric resolution?
What is a Landsat satellite constellation?
How do I search for and download Landsat data?
What are Landsat Collections?

A large, round lake in Quebec, Canada, highlights the geography of an ancient impact crater. In the late Triassic Period, a 3 mile wide meteorite struck northern Pangea at over 30,000 miles per hour. The resulting crater is now 214 million years old, but the dramatic circular lake visible in 2024 Landsat imagery is a surprisingly recent feature.
A large, round lake in Quebec, Canada, highlights the geography of an ancient impact crater. In the late Triassic Period, a 3 mile wide meteorite struck northern Pangea at over 30,000 miles per hour. The resulting crater is now 214 million years old, but the dramatic circular lake visible in 2024 Landsat imagery is a surprisingly recent feature.

Western and Eastern region eVIIRS Remote Sensing Phenology Start of Season for 2023.
Western and Eastern region eVIIRS Remote Sensing Phenology Start of Season for 2023.
Ocean currents, and the sediments they transport, have constantly shifted the Cape Cod barrier islands over time. Some of the abrupt changes, however, can be linked directly to a storm.
Ocean currents, and the sediments they transport, have constantly shifted the Cape Cod barrier islands over time. Some of the abrupt changes, however, can be linked directly to a storm.
PubTalk-05/2022 - Using Military Remote Sensing Technology to Support Federal Civil Agency Science: Sunk Cost, Well Spent
linkUsing Military Remote Sensing Technology to Support Federal Civil Agency Science: Sunk Cost, Well Spent
By Paul M. Young, Director of the USGS National Civil Applications Center
PubTalk-05/2022 - Using Military Remote Sensing Technology to Support Federal Civil Agency Science: Sunk Cost, Well Spent
linkUsing Military Remote Sensing Technology to Support Federal Civil Agency Science: Sunk Cost, Well Spent
By Paul M. Young, Director of the USGS National Civil Applications Center
Working with the USGS and Pepperwood Preserve, Black Swift Technologies LLC deployed radiometers on a UAS, the Super Swift (S2).
Working with the USGS and Pepperwood Preserve, Black Swift Technologies LLC deployed radiometers on a UAS, the Super Swift (S2).

Information from satellite imagery helped to differentiate areas vulnerable to soil erosion from off-highway vehicle use. For this study we developed a “P-factor” by scaling ground measurements of soil compaction to vehicle disturbances mapped from aerial imagery.
Information from satellite imagery helped to differentiate areas vulnerable to soil erosion from off-highway vehicle use. For this study we developed a “P-factor” by scaling ground measurements of soil compaction to vehicle disturbances mapped from aerial imagery.

Zhuoting Wu, research ecologist at the USGS Western Geographic Science Center, explains how the USGS uses remote sensing technology to help Tribal communities better understand the effects of climate change.
Zhuoting Wu, research ecologist at the USGS Western Geographic Science Center, explains how the USGS uses remote sensing technology to help Tribal communities better understand the effects of climate change.

Land Remote Sensing Image of Mount St. Helens on May 22, 1983. The volcanic blast on May 18, 1980, devastated more than 150 square miles of forest within a few minutes. In this Landsat false-color images, forest appears as bright red interspersed with patches of logging. Snow appears white, and ash is gray.
Land Remote Sensing Image of Mount St. Helens on May 22, 1983. The volcanic blast on May 18, 1980, devastated more than 150 square miles of forest within a few minutes. In this Landsat false-color images, forest appears as bright red interspersed with patches of logging. Snow appears white, and ash is gray.
USGS scientist Bernard Hubbard conducting spectral measurements of soils and cover crops to ground truth satellite imagery being used to map soil erosion and runoff potential into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
USGS scientist Bernard Hubbard conducting spectral measurements of soils and cover crops to ground truth satellite imagery being used to map soil erosion and runoff potential into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.