A repository of earth resource information - CORONA satellite programme

The CORONA satellite programme was the first series of spy satellites aimed at observing the military stra tegy and arms power. These satellites captured phot ograph s of the earth’s surface using panoramic cameras du ring 1960 –72. Continuous im provements in design of each mission provided photographs o f higher resolu tion and coverage. Declassification of these photographs in 1995 revol u tionized the remote sensing community, as it provided a rich source of earth resource inform ation . These photographs are being used in the areas of g eo-logy, land use and archaeology. However, inform ation and facts about the CORONA programme are not readily available. This article is an attempt to compile all scattered information to serve as a compr ehensive technical reference. Further, the article surveys the various app lications where CORONA data have been used and assesses the poten tial of these data. Due to low cost, higher resolution and historical data, the CORONA photographs are especially useful for a d e-ve loping country like India. Keywords: Change detection, CORONA satellites, earth resources, pan oramic photographs, reconnaissance. T