Aircraft Scanners

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aircraft
Scanners data set contains digital imagery acquired from several
multispectral scanners, including Daedalus thematic mapper simulator
scanners and the thermal infrared multispectral scanner. Data are
collected from selected areas over the conterminous United States,
Alaska, and Hawaii by NASA ER-2 and NASA C-130B aircraft, operating
from the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, and by
NASA Learjet aircraft, operating from Stennis Space Center in Bay St.
Louis, Mississippi. Limited international acquisitions also are
available.

  In cooperation with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Daedalus 
  Enterprises,Inc., NASA developed several multispectral sensors.  The
  data  acquired from these sensors supports NASA's Airborne Science and
  Applications  Program and have been identified as precursors to the
  instruments scheduled to  fly on Earth Observing System platforms.

  THEMATIC MAPPER SIMULATOR

  The Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) sensor is a line scanning device   
  designed for a variety of Earth science applications.  Flown aboard       
  NASA ER-2 aircraft, the TMS sensor has a nominal Instantaneous Field  of       
  View of 1.25 milliradians with a ground resolution of 81 feet (25  meters)     
    at 65,000 feet. The TMS sensor scans at a rate of 12.5 scans per  second     
    with 716 pixels per scan line.  Swath width is 8.3 nautical miles       
  (15.4 kilometers) at 65,000 feet while the scanner's Field of View  is       
  42.5 degrees.

  NS-001 MULTISPECTRAL SCANNER

  The NS-001multispectral scanner is a line scanning device designed  to       
  simulate Landsat thematic mapper (TM) sensor performance, including  a       
  near infrared/short-wave infrared band used in applications similar  to those  
  of the TM sensor (e.g., Earth resources mapping, vegetation/land  cover   
  mapping, geologic studies).  Flown aboard NASA C-130B aircraft, the  NS-001
  sensor has a nominal Instantaneous Field of View of 2.5 milliradians     with a
  ground resolution of 25 feet (7.6 meters) at 10,000 feet.  The sensor has a
  variable scan rate (10 to 100 scans per second) with 699  pixels per scan line,
  but the available motor drive supply restricts the  maximum stable scan speed
  to approximately 85 revolutions per second. A scan rate  of 100 revolutions per
  second is possible, but not probable, for short  scan lines; therefore, a
  combination of factors, including aircraft  flight requirements and maximum
  scan speed, prevent scanner operation below 1,500 feet.  Swath width is 3.9
  nautical miles (7.26 kilometers) at 10,000 feet, and the total scan angle or
  field of regard for the sensor is 100 degrees, plus or minus 15 degrees for
  roll compensation.

  THERMAL INFRARED MULTISPECTRAL SCANNER

  The Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) sensor is a line  scanning  
  device originally designed for geologic applications.  Flown aboard NASA
  C-130B, NASA ER-2, and NASA Learjet aircraft, the TIMS sensor  has a       
  nominal Instantaneous Field of View of 2.5 milliradians with a  ground       
  resolution of 25 feet (7.6 meters) at 10,000 feet.  The sensor has a       
  selectable scan rate (7.3, 8.7, 12, or 25 scans per second) with 698  pixels   
  per scan line.  Swath width is 2.6 nautical miles (4.8 kilometers)  at     
  10,000 feet while the scanner's Field of View is 76.56 degrees.