Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection radiometer （ASTER) can observe the Earth's surface with fourteen bands in visible and near-infrared, shortwave infrared, and thermal infrared wavelength regions. This provides the capability useful for rock identification, mineral exploration, and geologic structure. ASTER is onboard the NASA's Terra spacecraft and launched on December 18, 1999 by ATLAS II rocket. ASTER is in operation now, over more than thirteen years. ●ASTER is a optical instrument of high resolution, composed of a visible and near-infrared radiometer (VNIR), a shortwave infrared radiometer（SWIR）, and a thermal infrared radiometer (TIR). ●VNIR can detect solar reflected light in visible and near-infrared wavelength region, and acquire stereo-viewing data using nadir and backward viewing telescopes. ASTER global 3D DEM data (ASTER GDEM) is publicly released for the world users. ●SWIR can detect solar reflected light in short-wavelength spectral region, and acquire image data containing rocks, minerals, and vegetation in detail. ●TIR can detect the emitted energy from the Earth's surface in thermal infrared wavelength region. It can acquire images for discriminating minerals using thermal emission characteristics. ●High reliable sterling cooler is used and in operation.