ASTER
ASTER was launched in 1999 and remains fully operational. Flying at an altitude of 438 miles, ASTER has a 16-day revisit period and follows a sun-synchronous polar orbit. Each ASTER acquisition is approximately 60km by 60km . The ASTER instrument acquires information across the visible and infrared spectrums. Specifically, information is acquired by three separate instruments:VNIR (Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer), SWIR (ShortWave Infrared Radiometer),and TWIR (Thermal Infrared Radiometer).
RESOLUTION
VNIR 15 m
SWIR 30 m
TIR 90 m
SWIR 30 m
TIR 90 m
NOMINAL SWATH WIDTH
60 km at Nadir
BANDS
VNIR Band 1 (Green): 520-600 nm
VNIR Band 2 (Red): 630-690 nm
VNIR Band 3 (NIR): 780-860 nm
SWIR Band 4: 1.6-1.7 μm
SWIR Band 5: 2.145-2.185 μm
SWIR Band 6: 2.185-2.225 μm
SWIR Band 7: 2.235-2.285 μm
SWIR Band 8: 2.295-2.365 μm
SWIR Band 9: 2.36-2.43 μm
(SWIR sensor is no longer working presently. All data collect post 2007 has blank SWIR bands)
TIR Band 10: 8.125-8.475 μm
TIR Band 11: 8.475-8.825 μm
TIR Band 12: 8.925-9.275 μm
TIR Band 13: 10.25-10.95 μm
TIR Band 14: 10.95-11.65 μm
VNIR Band 2 (Red): 630-690 nm
VNIR Band 3 (NIR): 780-860 nm
SWIR Band 4: 1.6-1.7 μm
SWIR Band 5: 2.145-2.185 μm
SWIR Band 6: 2.185-2.225 μm
SWIR Band 7: 2.235-2.285 μm
SWIR Band 8: 2.295-2.365 μm
SWIR Band 9: 2.36-2.43 μm
(SWIR sensor is no longer working presently. All data collect post 2007 has blank SWIR bands)
TIR Band 10: 8.125-8.475 μm
TIR Band 11: 8.475-8.825 μm
TIR Band 12: 8.925-9.275 μm
TIR Band 13: 10.25-10.95 μm
TIR Band 14: 10.95-11.65 μm
ARCHIVE AVAILABILITY
From 1999
PROGRAMMABLITY
NO
MINIMUM AREA OF PURCHASE
Full scenes only
STEREO AVAILABLE?
YES, along track stereo from Level 1A VNIR bands 3N and 3B
BEST SCALE
1:25,000 - VNIR & SWIR
1:50,000 - SWIR
1:50,000 - SWIR