Remote Sensing

Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about Earth's surface, atmosphere, and oceans using sensors that are not in direct physical contact with the target. Satellite remote sensing uses two fundamental approaches: passive sensing (measuring reflected sunlight or emitted thermal radiation — optical, multispectral, hyperspectral, thermal infrared) and active sensing (transmitting energy and measuring the return — SAR, lidar, radar altimetry). Applications span agriculture (crop monitoring, yield prediction), forestry (deforestation tracking), urban planning, disaster response, climate science, military intelligence, and resource exploration. The remote sensing data market was estimated at ~$8 billion in 2025, driven by commercial constellations offering daily global coverage.