ASTER Satellite Capabilities
Historical Multispectral and Thermal Imaging from NASA’s Terra Satellite Archive
About the ASTER Instrument on Terra
ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer) is an advanced imaging instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, launched in 1999. As one of Terra’s five sensor systems, ASTER offers a unique combination of wide spectral coverage and medium spatial resolution, valuable for a broad range of Earth observation applications.
Comprising of three subsystems, Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR), Shortwave Infrared (SWIR), and Thermal Infrared (TIR), ASTER captured multispectral and thermal data and generated along-track stereo imagery used for digital elevation models.
While Terra and ASTER no longer acquire new data, their extensive archive remains a vital resource for historical environmental monitoring, hazard assessment, land surface climatology, and resource management studies.
Multispectral & Thermal Imaging
Historical data supporting vegetation, soil, hydrology, and resource management analysis.
Moderate Swath Width
60 km swath width at nadir enables comprehensive coverage in archival studies.
Spectral Data Integration
Archive data integrated in Geoimage’s Spectral Suite for enhanced analysis.
Key Features and Benefits of ASTER Archived Data
- Multispectral and thermal imaging spanning VNIR, SWIR, and TIR bands enable detailed historical analysis of vegetation, soils, land surface temperature, geology, and hydrology.
- The 60 km swath width offers broad retrospective spatial coverage suitable for regional studies.
- Stereo imaging capability provides digital elevation models for topographic and hazard mapping.
- Archive data includes multiple acquisition modes (nadir, forward, backward) allowing diverse applications.
- Precisely calibrated data ensures reliable use for retrospective environmental and resource management research.
