Formosat-2 satellite imagery

Formosat-2 spacecraft was launched on May 21, 2004 by NSPO Taiwan National Space Organization. SpotImage, France got exclusive rights for satellite imagery distribution acquired from Formosat-2. The satellite was set into sun-synchronous geostationary orbit at the height of 891 km. Formosat-2 acquires digital satellite imagery with spatial resolution of 2 m in panchromatic mode and 8 m in multispectral mode.

The main advantages – mobility (surveying with 45° inclination off-nadir), daily surveying, and earlier revisiting any area (9.30am local time against usual 10.30am) which extends the period of cloudless survey. Active orbit life – 5 years.

Formosat-2 satellite imagery applications

• Creation and refreshing of topographical maps and special plans up to 1:25000 scale.
• Prompt estimating of drill site and transportation infrastructure facilities and its monitoring.
• Constant monitoring of the ecological state in the areas of oil, gas and other mineral mining, refining and transportation.
• Topographical background survey for the generation of the perspective urban developing layouts and metropolitan and federal region planning diagrams.
• Forest regulation implementation and its health monitoring. Instant forest use control and strategic monitoring of the forest health.
• Monitoring and assessment of the crop state and contamination, determination of the crop fragile, crop yields forecasting.
• Instant monitoring of the erosion, karsts, bogging, desertisation, salification, forest and grass fires, water and other flooding extension.
• Monitoring of the natural and human-made disasters.