The Uses of Satellite Imagery
- By Rima Chaddha and Caitlin Feeley
- Posted 10.01.07
- NOVA
The earliest satellites played key roles in the Cold War, allowing the Soviet Union and the United States to spy on each other under the public guise of conducting scientific research. But as imaging technology improved, scientific applications became a reality. While some satellites now look outward to tell us more about the distant universe, most focus on the world around us, revealing information on everything from upcoming weather to natural disasters, from ancient roadways to the spread of disease. In this slide show, explore nine scientific and practical applications made possible by Earth-orbiting satellites.
Launch Interactive
Printable Version
Images from near-Earth orbit help us with everything from weather forecasting and disaster management to archeology.
This feature originally appeared on the site for the NOVA program Sputnik Declassified.
Credits
Images
- (landslide)
- Courtesy GeoEye
- (hurricane, image from TIROS, Syrian village, Telstar 1 image, U.S. temperature peak, Landsat image of Washington, D.C., ozone levels over Antarctica, Yellowstone topo map)
- Courtesy NASA
- (crop light spectra)
- © Spot Image Society
Related Links
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Earth From Space
Detailed satellite images reveal the web of connections that sustain life on Earth.
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Sputnik Declassified
Top-secret documents rewrite the history of the famous satellite and the early space race.
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Earth in Peril
How do consumption and rapid population growth affect our planet's natural resources?
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Glacier Hazards From Space
View satellite images of glaciers that have wreaked havoc—or might soon.
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