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. 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.
Ref: #15 - update: 24.10.04