Global commercial satellite imagery data 2022, by spatial resolution

Satellite images are essentially the eyes in the sky. Some of the recent satellites, such as WorldView-3, provide images with a spatial resolution of 0.3 meters. This satellite with a revisit time of under 24 hours can scan a new image of the exact location with every revisit.

Spatial resolution explained

Spatial resolution is the size of the physical dimension that can be represented on a pixel of the image. Or in other words, spatial resolution is a measure of the smallest object that the sensor can resolve measured in meters. Generally, spatial resolution can be divided into three categories:
– Low resolution: over 60m/pixel. (useful for regional perspectives such as monitoring larger forest areas)
– Medium resolution: 10‒30m/pixel. (Useful for monitoring crop fields or smaller forest patches)
– High to very high resolution: 0.30‒5m/pixel. (Useful for monitoring smaller objects like buildings, narrow streets, or vehicles)
Based on the application of the imagery for the final product, a choice can be made on the resolution, as labor intensity from person-hours to computing power required increases with the resolution of the imagery.