20 Free Satellite Imagery Data Sources
Published on by Prosper Kuradusenge in Technology
There are abundant websites that provide free quality satellite images. Here are some top-notch valuable researched sources of free satellite imagery from some relevant space agencies around the globe.
1. NASA Earth Observations (NEO)
NASA’s Earth Observations (NEO) strives to make global satellite imagery very accessible to all users. It is the best when it comes to accessing our local environment daily from space with over 50 global datasets from atmosphere, energy, land, life, ocean and a whole lot more.
2. USSG Earth explorer
The USGS Earth Explorer remains an incredibly rich imagery data source from the remotest to the most urban location, anywhere around the world. For a number of reasons, USGS stands tallest in the provision of abundant free satellite images. With over forty years of the knowledge of the earth, their reputation is unmatched as long as access to Landsat data is concerned.
You can easily acquaint yourself with NASA’s ASTER and Shuttle Radar Topography Missions global Digital Elevation Models. USGS grants you full access to NASA’s Land Data Products and Services such as Hyperion’s hyperspectral data, disperse Radar data and MODIS & AVHRR land surface reflectance. There’s no gain-saying that USGS is the best source of free satellite imagery for a very long time.
Use this link to explore the unlimited and unrestricted data access from USSG.
3. ESA’s Sentinel Satellite data
The official download headquarters for the European Space Agency’s Sentinel satellite data, Sentinel’s Scientific Data Hub can be said to rub shoulder with USGS. The reason is, Sentinel -2a and 2b are likewise a free satellite imagery for all having more spectral bands (12) and crisper resolution. With the addition of Sentinel -1, a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar of the globe is just a click away.
More so, the soon to be launched ESA’s Copernicus Programme, where another five earth observing satellites made possible by tool box – sentinel-2 further increases the source of acquiring data remotely from ESA’s.
One can only cease this rear opportunity through this link.
4. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Class
NOAA’s has a distinct online data library system, a pool of free top quality and valuable geographic data sets which set them apart. Still, USGS Earth Explorer and Sentinel Science Data Hub are more ergonomic.
The Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS) is really in a class of its own with abundance of data accumulated from other rich and viable sources such as the US Department of Defense (DoD) Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES), Environmental Satellite (GOES), NOAA’s Geostationary, Operational), and other derived data.
5. Terra Populus
Terra Populus ability to integrate population and environmental data from over 160 countries around the world makes it very unique. It combines spatiotemporal data covering population counts and surveys, satellite imagery of land cover, weather station data, Land use data. This data can be accessed from multiple domains encouraging research across disciplines.
6. NASA Reverb
Just like NOAA Class, it requires a little patience to navigate NASA Reverb. However, NASA’s Reverb Data Hub is simply the best choice for satellite Data. NASA Reverb communicates with a plethora of satellites such as NASA DC, GPS satellites, SMAP, JASON, METEOSAT, ALOS, TRMM, Aura, Aqua and much more.
This Tutorial will help you gain easy access to NASA Reverb Hub.
7. Earth Observation Link (EOLi)
Though this satellite image data source is quite tardy and sluggish as it has become old-fashioned, it is however made easily accessible as users can download the JAVA application on their PC. Despite its slowness one can access Earth Observation Data from a number of sources such as ALOS, SPOT, IRS, IKONOS, Envisat, ERS to mention but a few.
The Earth Observation Link (EOLi) is the European Space Agency’s client for Earth Observation Catalog and Ordering Services.
In practice, just select intended search from fewer satellite collections, say 10. Select “Search catalog” and click Append. Thereafter you download and order.
8. National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
INPE Image Catalogue is combined satellite image source from Brazil and China which lets you download free satellite imagery data from their remote image catalog. In addition to their own Earth Resources (CBERS-2, CBERS-2b), they also tap into satellites of United States, United Kingdom as well as the Indian (Landsat, CBERS, Aqua, S-NPP) satellites.
The access to this satellite imagery source is however restricted to on only users from South America and Africa. All you need do is to translate to a language of choice, create an account, select satellite and sensor, add to your cart and click “Go Ahead” to download.
9. JAXA’s Global ALOS 3D World
The ALOS 3D world was invented by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA), It is a 30-meter spatial resolution digital surface model (DSM) recently released for public access. Its great precision in global-scale elevation data using the Advanced Land Observing Satellite “DAICHI” (ALOS) – PALSAR’s L-band makes it very unique.
One has to register online through the JAXA Global ALOS link in order to access this valuable and reliable DSM for download.
10. NOAA Data Access Viewer
At NOAA Data Access Viewer you cannot only find and download definitive datasets, you are also given the flexibility to customize it, all free. However, downloads from this source formerly known as NOAA Aerial Photo Ordering System are rather dull and slow.
11. VITO Vision
VITO Vision is a coarse resolution satellite best adapted for large scale applications. It offers free satellite images which map out the Earth surface’s vegetation patterns. They are SPOT-Vegetation, PROBA-V and METOP. It has a user-friendly interface but it takes quite an effort to create an account in it.
12. DigitalGlobe Free Product Samples
Free satellite imagery samples can also be found in DigitalGlobe, which ranks as the largest and sharpest commercial satellite data supplier in the world. DigitalGlobe has a reputation, delivering on their promise on imagery view beyond the human eye with sophisticated high-resolution satellites.
13. NOAA Digital Coast
If you only want coastal data, there’s no better place to go than NOAA’s Digital Coast. Simply define your choice of interest and select from the range of free satellite imagery dataset such as infrared, radar and true color composite to download. You shall as well get imagery, land cover, elevation, socio-economic and benthic data.
14 . Global Land Cover Facility
Looking for land cover data and land cover changes around the world? Global Land Cover Facility encompassing both geologic, agriculture, hydrologic, vegetation, and urban areas on the earth’s surface. Landcover.org is the best place to look for land cover data satellites such as MODIS, AVHRR and Landsat satellite imagery.
15. BlackBridge/Geo-Airbus
Some satellites such as RapidEye, SPOT, and TerraSAR data are specific to some fields like oil & gas, security, agriculture, environment, disaster mapping, mining and energy.
Blackbridge provides these specific satellites for Canadians only while Airbus Defense Systems provides for the rest of the world.
Sample data can be downloaded in some of the locations below;
- Free RapidEye Data from BlackBridge
- Airbus Defense and Space Gallery Home
- Airbus Defense & Space Sample Imagery Web Viewer.
16. The National Map Viewer and Download Platform
This platform setup by the USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP), is your best choice for topographic information which allows you to view and download most current topographic base map data and products for free.
Users can access a wide range of data services including Maps (Download Maps, Explore Historical Topo Maps and Download, Buy a Printed Map, CSV of Map Products); GIS Data (Download GIS Data, Cloud Browse, FTP Access, Small-scale Data, Historical Data Archives, Hazards Events); Visualizations, Applications and tools. Check Topographic Information.
17. UNAVCO Research Data
UNAVCO is an acronym for Universities NAVSTAR Consortium, a geodesy technology research based organization of universities. They encourage research by providing access to geodesy data such as plate tectonics, earthquakes, flooding etc.
Their website, the UNAVCO SAR Archive Search User Interface is rich in Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites sources. All you need is a username and password!
18. LANCE: NASA NEAR REAL-TIME DATA AND IMAGERY
This system provides the general public daily access to satellite images of the Earth’s observation data and imagery. LANCE stands for Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS. It is a NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) project which supports application users interested in monitoring a wide variety of natural and man-made phenomena.
Here you can access Near Real-Time (NRT) data, Near Real-Time versus Standard Products, External Near Real-Time Data, FIRMS: Fire/Hotspot data. Also available is Overview of Near Real-Time Imagery, Worldview, Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), Rapid Response, Hazards and Disasters.
More information about LANCE through this link.
19. Natural Earth’s Data
Natural Earth Data provides cultural, physical and basemap data at a global scale specially fitted for Cartographers. Constructed with the support of North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS), users can download global free GIS data in public domain allowing you the privilege to modify and share data at will.
20. Bhuvan Indian Geo-Platform of ISRO
Since two decades ago, India has been emerging strongly in the technology of satellite remote sensing after it launched the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS 1A) satellite in 1998. The state of the art data platform, Bhuvan Indian Geo-Platform was built for only Indian Use.
All the satellites are Indians and include Cartosat, OceanSat, ResourceSat and IMS-1. Some data imagery can however be downloaded from outside India. CartoDem Version -3R1 is available for SAARC countries, Global Coverage and Climate products for North Indian Ocean.
Source: Monde Geospetial
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