FORMOSAT-2 Satellite

FORMOSAT-2 satellite is a fixed-orbit satellite with 2-meter resolution and 4-band imagery.

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Sample Imagery | Advantages | Overview, Specs and Pricing

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FORMOSAT-2 Satellite Imagery Samples

FORMOSAT-2 2-m Natural Color - Barcelona, Spain; December, 15, 2005
FORMOSAT-2 2-m Natural Color - Barcelona, Spain; December, 15, 2005
FORMOSAT-2 2-m Natural Color - Barcelona, Spain; December, 15, 2005
FORMOSAT-2 2-m Natural Color - San Vicente, El Salvador; November 19, 2009
FORMOSAT-2 2-m Natural Color - New York City, New York, USA; January 11, 2016
FORMOSAT-2 2-m Natural Color - Calderitas, El Salvador; November 19, 2009

Click on the expand button for a larger view of each image. You can also right-click and save any of the examples to your computer for a full resolution view.

The FORMOSAT-2 Advantage

Daily Revisits
When still active in space, FORMOSAT-2 offered daily revisits of any location along its the orbital track. However, there is lack of archive coverage outside these orbits.

Download Orbital Track
Download a KMZ of the FORMOSAT-2 orbital track here.

Great Clarity
For 2-meter pansharpened resolution, the clarity of features not normally seen in medium resolution imagery (such as airplanes and construction equipment) is stunning.

Monitoring & Mapping
When still active in space, FORMOSAT-2 offered large area coverage, daily revisits and superb clarity. It was an excellent choice for site monitoring, disaster management and relief and regional mapping.
Overview & HistoryFORMOSAT-2 SpecificationsPricing

Launched on May 21, 2004 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA by the National Space Organization (NSPO), FORMOSAT-2 is the first medium resolution satellite developed by the Taiwanese. FORMOSAT-2 featured optical sensors with 2-meter (m) panchromatic and 8-m multispectral (i.e. blue, green, red and near-infrared/NIR) resolution. With an orbital height of 891 kilometers (km), FORMOSAT-2 offered daily revisits over any location within its fixed orbital track.

FORMOSAT-2 collected its last image on June 20, 2016 and was decommissioned shortly thereafter on August 1, 2016.

Launch Details
  • Launch Date: May 20, 2004 17:47:03 UTC
  • Vehicle: Taurus-XL rocket
  • Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA
  • Decommission Date: Late June 2016

FORMOSAT-2 Components
  • Dimensions: hexagonal body with 1.6-m sides and 2.4-m height, 693 kg (without original propellant)
  • Solar Array: 2 fixed Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) panels
  • Control Systems:
    • 3-axis stabilized
    • Actuators – 4 reaction wheels (MicroWheel-10SP-S)
    • Altitude determination – star sensors, gyroscopes and an inertial reference unit (IRU)
  • Onboard Storage Capacity: 41 GBit, solid state recorder
  • Ground Communication Systems:
    • Imagery downlink – 120 Mbit/s, X-band
    • TT&C transmission – 4 kbit/s uplink, 1.6 Mbit/s downlink, S-band
  • Focal Plane:
    • Pushbroom sensor
    • CCD systems – TH 7834 for panchromatic, THX 31547 quad-linear for multispectral
    • 12,000 panchromatic pixels, 3,000 multispectral pixels
  • Optical Sensor Assembly: 2,896-mm focal length, 600-mm aperture diameter

Orbit Characteristics
  • Altitude: 891 km
  • Period: 102.9 minutes
  • Inclination: 99.14°
  • Direction: sun-synchronous circular, north to south (across the lit side of Earth)
  • Equatorial Crossing Time: 9:26 AM local time (approximate; across lit side of Earth)
  • Revisit Frequency: daily (along fixed orbital track)

Imaging System
  • Spectral Bands:
    • Panchromatic
    • 4-band multispectral (blue, green, red and NIR)
  • Sensor Resolution: 2-m panchromatic & 8-m multispectral (at nadir)
  • Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • Panchromatic – 450 to 900
    • Blue – 450 to 520
    • Green – 520 to 600
    • Red – 630 to 690
    • NIR – 760 to 900
  • Dynamic Range: 8-bits

Collection Capabilities
  • Footprint Width: 24 km
  • Maximum Collection Geometry: (at 30° off-nadir)
    • Strip length – 3,000 km
    • Stereo – two 100-km x 24-km pairs
    • Contiguous mono polygon – four 100-km x 24-km strips
    • Imagery is only collected at nadir along the fixed orbital track, the satellite can slew forward (cross-track) and aft (along-track)
  • Retargeting Ability: roll 10° in 25 s, 30° in 45 s and pitch 45° in 60 s

Below is the least expensive FORMOSAT-2 data offered. Prices increase for additional spectral bands and data processing. Note that academic and volume discounts are available.

For an exact quote, please contact our Sales Team at sales@apollomapping.com.

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