scope:

This volume of the Manual of Remote Sensing series, Volume 1.1: Earth Observing Platforms & Sensors, updates the previous CDROM database of sensors and platforms with an interactive online database and adds chapters of context for major families of sensors and platforms. The intent of this volume is to enable all who have an interest in remote sensing -- from student to researcher to practitioner -- to see what the possibilities are, how the field has developed and where it is going.

The past several years have witnessed proliferation of the use and awareness of remotely sensed imagery in research fields not traditionally concerned with geospatial technologies and by the general public for an ever-expanding variety of tasks. The chapters of this volume do not seek to address all possible uses for remotely sensed data. The goal is to provide a starting point for anyone searching for a greater understanding of what has, can and may be done using remote sensors for Earth observation. Following a brief history of key developments in remote sensing and related technologies, the chapters introduce the reader to the basics of the broad sensor families and types and conclude with chapters on the related in situ sensors and a look at the future of spaceborne remote sensing.

The accompanying website (accessible at www.asprs.org) is designed to provide basic information about as many sensors and platforms as possible, while also pointing to additional sources of information on the web and in technical and scholarly publications. ASPRS members are invited to help maintain and expand the data in this database as a community resource.