Acousto-optic spectrometers for Earth remote sensing

This paper reviews the work performed in Russia and the Former Soviet Union in the last twenty year in the development and application of acousto-optic spectrometer technology for Remote Sensing and other applications. A family of spectrometers designed for remote sensing of the Earth surface from a satellite or from an aircraft is described. There are presented the collection of visible range spectra obtained in test experiments and space mission. The collection includes spectra of the oceans, Azov, Barents, Black, Japan, Caspian, Aral seas, Dnieper and some other rivers, and different landscapes.