The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection radiometer, ASTER, isan international project: the instrument was supplied by Japan's Ministry ofInternational Trade and Industry. A joint US/Japan science team developedalgorithms for science data products, and is validating instrument performance.With its 14 spectral bands, extremely high spatial resolution, and 15 meteralong-track stereo capability, ASTER is the zoom lens of the Terra satellite. Theprimary mission goals are to characterize the Earth's surface; and to monitordynamic events and processes that influence habitability at human scales.
ASTER's monitoring and mapping capabilities are illustrated by this series ofimages of the San Francisco area. The visible and near infrared image reveals suspended sediment in the bays, vegetation health, and details of the urban environment.
Flying over San Francisco,we see the downtown, and shadows of the largebuildings. Past the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island, we cross San PabloBay and enter Suisun Bay. Turning south, we fly over the Berkeley and OaklandHills. Large salt evaporation ponds come into view at the south end of SanFrancisco Bay. We turn northward, and approach San Francisco Airport. Rather thanlanding and ending our flight, we see this is as only the beginning of a 6 yearmission to better understand the habitability of the world on which we live.
For more information:ASTER Web Site
References & Resources
Image courtesy of MITI, ERSDAC, JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
