Program: Spot

Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre

French remote sensing program decided in 1978 by the French government after a refusal of the ESA. Belgium and Sweden participated (5% each). Data is commercialized by a private company: Spot Image. Applications include geological, petroleum and mining research, cartography, agricultural forcasting and survey of natural disasters.

Geological mission: detection of geochemical and structural anomalies through stereo imagery useful for oil and mineral exploration
Agricultural mission: crop yield forecasting, flood damage analysis, etc.
Cartographical mission: 1:50000 maps (1:25000 possible in some cases)
Planning mission: land use monitoring e.g. urban/rural boundary

Main Earth stations: Toulouse, France; Kiruna, Sweden; Prince Albert and Gatinea, Canada; Ladkraban, Thailand; Hatoyama, Japan; Islamabad, Pakistan; Hyderabad, India; Maspalamas, Spain and Ryad, Saudi Arabia.

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External resources

http://www.spotimage.com/home/system/welcome.htm

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