SPOT 1, 2, and 3
Since 1986 the SPOT family of satellites has been orbiting the Earth and has already taken more than 10 million high quality images. SPOT 1 was launched with Ariane 2 on February 22, 1986. Two days later, the 1800 kg SPOT 1 transmitted its first image with a spatial resolution of 10 or 20 meters. SPOT 2 joined SPOT 1 in orbit on January 22, 1990 and SPOT 3 followed on September 26, 1993.
The satellite loads were identical, each including two identical HRV (High Resolution Visible) imaging instruments that were able to operate in two modes, either simultaneously or individually. The two spectral modes are panchromatic and multispectral. The panchromatic band has a resolution of 10 meters, and the three multispectral bands (G,R,NIR) have resolutions of 20 metres. They have a scene size of 3600 km2 and a revisit interval of one to four days, depending on the latitude.
Because the orbit of SPOT 1 was lowered in 2003, it will gradually lose altitude and break up naturally in the atmosphere. Deorbitation of Spot 2 – in accordance with IADC (Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee)- commenced in mid-July 2009 for a period of two weeks, with a final burn on 29 July 2009. SPOT 3 is not working anymore either, due to problems with its stabilization system.
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