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SPOT Overview

Series Background

Initiated by the French space agency CNES in 1977 and run by Spot Image, based in Toulouse, France, SPOT was the first European Earth-observation satellite programme. The series was developed in association with Belgian and Swedish institutions. The SPOT (Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre) series under CNES operated five satellites between 1986 and 2015, creating a 29 year archive of high resolution imagery.

CNES continued the legacy of the original five SPOT satellites with the Pléiades satellites, offering improved imaging capabilities.

Airbus Defence and Space continued with the SPOT series when CNES ended their programme in 2015. Airbus' commercial SPOT 6 and 7 satellites, launched in 2012 and 2014 respectively, also work with the Pléiades satellites, offering very high resolution imagery and data continuity for their predecessors in the series.

 

 SPOT 1SPOT 2SPOT 3SPOT 4SPOT 5SPOT 6SPOT 7
OperatorsCNES (owner), Spot Image (operator)Airbus DS
Launch dates22 February 198622 January 199026 September 199324 March 19984 May 20029 September 201230 June 2014
EOLNovember 2003July 2009November 199629 June 2013March 2015operating nominally17 March 2023
Orbit Height832 km694 km
Orbit TypeNear-polar, sun-synchronous phased orbit local equator crossing time 10:30 on descending orbit at an altitude of 830 km completing over 14 revolutions per day
Orbit Period101 minutes98.79 minutes
Inclination98.7°98.2°
Repeat Cycle26 days
Onboard sensors provided under TPMHRVHRVHRVHRVIR, VEGETATIONHRG, HRS, VEGETATIONNAOMINAOMI
ResolutionHRV: 10 m (PAN), 20 mHRVIR: 10 m (PAN), 20 mHRG: 2.5 m (PAN), 10 m (MS), 20 (SWIR)
HRS: 10 m (cross track), 5 m (along-track)		1.5 m (PAN), 6 m (MS)
Swath WidthHRV: 117 (60 + 60) kmHRVIR: 117 (60 + 60) kmHRG: 117 (60 + 60) km
HRS: 120 km		60 km
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