RapidEye

RapidEye is a constellation of five 5-meter, 5-band satellites with a huge archive.

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Example Imagery | Advantages | Overview, Specs and Pricing

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RapidEye Satellite Imagery Samples


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The RapidEye Advantage

Daily Revisits

For projects requiring regional views and frequent revisits, there is no better choice for new collections and archive data than the RapidEye constellation.

12-Bit Depth

The RapidEye constellation collects imagery with 12-bit depth (versus the competitor’s 11-bit or even 8-bit depth) and with a red edge band. Both of these improve the results of all spectral analysis techniques, and particularly of vegetation studies.

Regional Mapping

With valuable spectral information and rapid new area collections, the RapidEye constellation is appropriate for regional mapping projects, site monitoring, remote sensing and vegetation analysis.

Overview & HistoryRapidEye SpecificationsPricing

On August 29, 2008, a cluster of five identical medium-resolution satellites known as the RapidEye constellation was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, and reached an orbital height of 630 kilometers (km). The constellation features 6.5-meter resolution, 5-band multispectral (or blue, green, red, red edge and near-infrared/NIR) imagery.

With a wide footprint, five satellites and daily revisits, the RapidEye constellation has amassed more than 14 billion sq km of medium resolution imagery to date. Able to image 4 million sq km per day, or an area over twice as large as Mexico, the RapidEye constellation can support regional and even countrywide mapping projects.

As of December 31, 2019, RapidEye has been decommissioned and is therefore no longer collecting new 5-m imagery.


Launch Details

  • Launch Date: August 29, 2008, 07:15 UTC
  • Vehicle: Dnepr Launch Vehicle
  • Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
  • Satellites In Orbit: 5 identical, equally-calibrated satellites
  • Expected Mission Life: past 2017


RapidEye Components

  • Dimensions of One Satellite: < 1 cubic meter, 150 kg
  • Solar Array: single junction GaAs/Ge cells
  • Control Systems:
    • 4 reaction wheels in tetrahedral configuration
    • Dual-wound magnetorquer rods for momentum management
    • 3-axis magnetometers and sun sensors for coarse attitude knowledge
    • 1 star tracker providing high-accuracy attitude information
  • Onboard Storage Capacity: 48 gigabits
  • Ground Communication Systems:
    • Imagery downlink – 8.25 to 8.40 GHz, X-band
    • TT&C communications – S-band
    • Ground station location – Svalbard, Norway
  • Focal Plane: multispectral push broom imager
  • Optical Sensor Assembly:
    • Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) built by Jena Optronik
    • MSI components – telescope, baffle, focal plane unit, front-end electronics, and instrument structure
    • Collector optics – three mirror anastigmatic (TMA) design


Orbit Characteristics

  • Altitude: 630 km
  • Period: 97.3 minutes
  • Inclination: ~ 97.9°
  • Direction: sun-synchronous circular, imaging north to south (across the lit side of Earth)
  • Equatorial Crossing Time: 11:00 AM local time (approximate; across lit side of Earth)
  • Observation Time: 14 minutes (time on lit side of Earth)
  • Revisit Frequency: 1 day (<20° off-nadir) at any latitude


Imaging System

  • Spectral Bands: 5-band multispectral (blue, green, red, red edge and NIR)
  • Sensor Resolution: 6.5 m (at nadir)
  • Spectral Band Wavelength Range: (in nm)
    • Blue – 440 to 510
    • Green – 520 to 590
    • Red – 630 to 685
    • Red edge – 690 to 730
    • NIR – 760 to 850
  • Dynamic Range: 12-bits


Collection Capabilities

  • Footprint Width: 77 km (at nadir)
  • Maximum Collection Geometry: up to 1 million sq km per day, per satellite
  • Daily Collection Capacity: 5,000,000 sq km (for combined 5 satellite constellation)
  • 3A Ortho Horizontal Accuracy: 50m CE90 (32m RSME) or better, depending on accuracy of GCPs and DEMs

Below is the least expensive RapidEye data offered. Prices increase for new collections and data processing. Note that academic and volume discounts are available.

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

Completing an atmospheric correction and/or radiance conversion of RapidEye imagery?

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