ABSTRACT
Chapter 5 describes types of optical sensors and basic satellite characteristics: orbits, resolutions, swath and revisit time, methodological and practical aspects including errors formation, quantitative assessment and management. The orbit’s specifications and four types of resolutions—spatial, spectral, radiometric, and temporal—are considered to be the most important parameters for remote sensing of the oceans. Space—based optical detection capability in many ways depends on the choice of an appropriate satellite observation configuration. Optimization of the observation process, image formation, and quality accuracy assessment are critical factors influencing the implementation success of optical imagery. This chapter also proposes a general remote sensing strategy, based on so—called Ocean Surveillance Detection System (OSDS). The goal of OSDS is providing the global monitoring, control and systematic targeting of ocean environments with 24/7 service. The OSDS—based strategy is formulated on three different levels: Level 1—science including test experiments and numerical analysis, Level 2—detection of localized ocean features at specified regions using current space capabilities (IKONOS, QuickBird, WorldView, GeoEye, and similar instruments), and Level 3—development and creation of specialized OSDS consisting of a large number of small fully automated satellites with flexible and reconfigurable payload architecture that is capable to cover the entire ocean daily. Today such an operational satellite system for open ocean target detection doesn’t exist. However, possible constellation configuration has been modeled for the purpose of tsunami detection (called “Tsunamisat”). The corresponding sample of orbital path around earth is presented.
