History and Development of Remote Sensing Technology (Year Wise)

Introduction

The history and Development of Remote Sensing Technology refer to the collection and analysis of data about the Earth’s surface using sensors on aircraft or satellites. The history of remote sensing can be traced back to the late 19th century when scientists first used balloons and kites to take aerial photographs. During World War II, military forces extensively used aerial photography for reconnaissance purposes.

After the war, civilian applications of remote sensing began to develop, with the launch of the first civilian Earth-observing satellite, the United States’ TIROS-1, in 1960. This was followed by the launch of the first Landsat satellite in 1972, which provided repetitive coverage of the Earth’s surface and greatly advanced the study of the Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere.

Since then, remote sensing technology has continued to evolve and improve. Advancements in sensor technology and increased computational power have led to the development of ever more sophisticated satellite and aircraft-based systems capable of collecting a wide range of data.

Remote sensing has now a wide range of applications, including land-use and land-cover mapping, monitoring of natural resources, and disaster management. Remote sensing also plays a crucial role in weather forecasting, climate change research, and global environmental monitoring.

Key Points of the History of Remote Sensing

1800- Discovery of Infrared by Sir W. Herschel
1839- Beginning of Practice of Photography
1847- Infrared Spectrum Shown by J.B.L. Foucault
1859- Photography from balloons
1873- Theory of Electromagnetic Spectrum by J.C. Maxwell
1909- Photography from Airplanes
1916- World War I: Aerial Reconnaissance
1935- Development of Radar in Germany
1940- WW II: Applications of Non-Visible Part of the electromagnetic spectrum
1950- Military Research and Development
1959- First Space Photograph of the Earth (Explorer-6)
1960- First TIROS Meteorological Satellite Launched
1970- Skylab Remote Sensing Observations from Space
1972- Launch Landsat-1 (ERTS-1): MSS sensor
1972- Rapid Advances in Digital Image Processing
1982- Launch of Landsat-4: New Generation of Landsat Sensors: TM
1986- French Commercial Earth Observation Satellite SPOT
1986- Development of Hyperspectral Sensors
1990- Development of High-Resolution Spaceborne Systems
First Commercial Developments in Remote Sensing
1991- Launch of the first radar satellite ERS-1 by ESA
1992- Launch of radar satellite JERS-1 by Japan
1995- Launch of Radarsat by Canada
1995- Launch of ERS-2 by ESA
1999- Launch EOS: NASA Earth Observing Mission ‘Terra’ with MODIS and ASTER
1999- Launch of IKONOS, a very high spatial resolution sensor system
2001- Launch of QuickBird, a very high spatial resolution sensor system
2002- Launch of ‘Aqua’ with MODIS by NASA
2002- Launch of Envisat-1 with optical and radar instruments by ESA

History & Development of remote sensing in 1800

The development of remote sensing technology in the 1800s was primarily focused on the use of aerial photography for mapping and surveying purposes. In 1858, French photographer Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, also known as “Nadar,” took the first aerial photograph from a hot air balloon. This marked the beginning of aerial photography as a tool for mapping and surveying the Earth’s surface.

During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Union forces used aerial photography for reconnaissance purposes. After the war, the US government began to use aerial photography for land surveys and mapping.

In the late 1800s, the use of kites to lift cameras for aerial photography was also being experimented with. In 1882, British photographer George Lawrence used a large kite to lift a camera and take a photograph of the city of Chicago.

These early developments laid the foundation for the continued use and advancement of aerial photography and remote sensing technology in the 20th century and beyond.

History & Development of remote sensing in 1839

The history of remote sensing dates back to 1839, when the French Academy of Sciences offered a prize for the invention of a method to determine the distance of an object without physical contact. The prize was won by the French photographer and balloonist Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, better known as Nadar. He proposed using photography and triangulation to determine the distance of objects, a method that is still used in modern remote sensing.

In the following decades, photography and ballooning were used for various purposes including military reconnaissance, cartography, and meteorology. The earliest known aerial photograph was taken from a hot air balloon in 1858, by James Wallace Black, an American photographer.

During the American Civil War, Union forces used aerial photography for reconnaissance purposes and to map Confederate fortifications. Similarly, during World War I, both the Allies and the Central Powers used aerial photography for reconnaissance, and to create detailed maps of enemy positions.

In conclusion, the history of remote sensing can be traced back to 1839, with the invention of a method for determining the distance of an object without physical contact. The use of photography and ballooning, as well as the application of remote sensing techniques in military reconnaissance, played a key role in the early development of remote sensing technology.

History & Development of remote sensing in 1847

The history of remote sensing can be traced back to the mid-19th century, but the development of the technology in 1847 is not well-documented. While there were some early attempts to use aerial photography for mapping and surveying purposes during this time period, the technology was not yet advanced enough to produce usable images.

The earliest known successful aerial photograph was taken by French photographer and balloonist, Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, who took a photograph of Paris from a balloon in 1858. This photograph is considered as the first aerial photograph in human history.

It wasn’t until the late 19th century and early 20th century that aerial photography began to be used more extensively for mapping and surveying purposes, with the technology being further developed during World War I and World War II for reconnaissance purposes.

The development of remote sensing technology as we know it today began in the mid-20th century with the launch of the first civilian Earth-observing satellite, the United States’ TIROS-1, in 1960.

History & Development of remote sensing in 1859

The history of remote sensing can be traced back to 1859, when the French photographer Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, also known as Nadar, used a hot-air balloon to take aerial photographs of the city of Paris. This marked the first recorded use of aerial photography for civilian purposes. Nadar’s photographs were not only of technical interest, but also of great artistic value, as they gave a new perspective on the city.

In the following years, other photographers also experimented with aerial photography using balloons, kites, and even pigeons.

During the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate forces used aerial photography for reconnaissance purposes. Union forces used hot-air balloons to take photographs of Confederate positions, while Confederate forces used kites to take photographs of Union positions.

However, it wasn’t until the 20th century and the development of aircrafts that aerial photography became more widespread and practical. The use of aircrafts provided a stable platform for cameras, allowing for higher resolution images to be taken. This laid the foundation for the development of remote sensing technology as we know it today.

History & Development of remote sensing in 1860

The history of remote sensing can be traced back to the late 19th century, around 1860. During this time, scientists and inventors began experimenting with aerial photography using balloons and kites. In 1858, Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, also known as Nadar, used a tethered balloon to take the first aerial photograph.

In the following years, several inventors and photographers continued to experiment with aerial photography using balloons and kites, including James Wallace Black and Samuel Archer King in the United States, and Felix Nadar and Etienne-Jules Marey in France. These early efforts laid the foundation for the development of remote sensing technology and the use of aerial photography for mapping and surveying.

However, it was not until the 20th century, with the advent of aircraft and satellites, that remote sensing technology truly began to develop and expand. The first aerial photograph from an aircraft was taken in 1909, and the first Earth-observing satellite, TIROS-1, was launched in 1960. From there, remote sensing technology continued to evolve, leading to the development of sophisticated satellite and aircraft-based systems that are now used in a wide range of applications.

The year 1870

The history of remote sensing can be traced back to the late 19th century, specifically around 1870. During this time, the first known aerial photograph was taken by French photographer and balloonist Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, also known as “Nadar.” He used a camera suspended from a hot air balloon to take photographs of Paris from an altitude of around 1,200 feet.

In the following decades, several inventors and photographers experimented with aerial photography using kites, balloons, and even pigeons to take photographs from above. The first known successful aerial photograph taken from a powered aircraft was taken in 1909 by the pioneering aviator Wilbur Wright.

During World War I, military forces began to use aerial photography for reconnaissance purposes. The use of aerial photography in warfare continued to grow during World War II, with both the Axis and Allied powers using it extensively for intelligence gathering and targeting.

It’s worth noting that Remote sensing as we know it today, which uses technology like satellite and aircraft-based sensors to collect data, were not yet developed in 1870. The first remote sensing technology was Aerial Photography, which was introduced in late 19th century.

The year 1872

The history of remote sensing can be traced back to the late 19th century, specifically in 1873, when a man named Julius Neubronner invented a pigeon photography system. This system consisted of a small lightweight camera that was strapped to the back of homing pigeons. Neubronner used this system to take aerial photographs for surveying and cartography purposes. This method was used for several years, and it was considered one of the earliest forms of remote sensing technology.

However, it wasn’t until the early 20th century, with the advent of lighter-than-air flight and the development of cameras that could be mounted on airplanes, that aerial photography became a more practical and widely used method for remote sensing.

It wasn’t until the late 1940s and early 1950s that scientists began to explore the use of satellites for remote sensing. The first successful satellite-based remote sensing mission was the U.S. Air Force’s Corona program, which used film-return cameras to take photographs of the Earth’s surface from space.

The first civilian Earth-observing satellite, the United States’ TIROS-1, was launched in 1960, which marked the beginning of a new era in remote sensing, with the advent of satellite-based remote sensing technology.

In summary, the history of remote sensing can be traced back to 1873 when Julius Neubronner invented a pigeon photography system, but it wasn’t until the late 19th century and early 20th century that aerial photography became a more practical and widely used method for remote sensing. The use of satellites for remote sensing began to be explored in the late 1940s and early 1950s and the first civilian Earth-observing satellite was launched in 1960.

History & Development of remote sensing in 1882

The earliest known use of remote sensing technology dates back to 1882 when a French scientist named Paul Sabatier used a hot-air balloon to take the first aerial photograph. Sabatier’s photograph was taken from an altitude of about 1,200 feet and was the first time that a photograph had been taken from an elevation higher than the tops of trees or buildings.

Over the next several decades, scientists and military forces continued to experiment with aerial photography, using balloons, kites, and eventually airplanes to take photographs of the Earth’s surface. During World War I, both the German and Allied armies made extensive use of aerial photography for reconnaissance purposes.

In 1922, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (now NOAA) used aerial photography to map the coastal areas of the United States for the first time. This marked the beginning of widespread civilian use of aerial photography for mapping and surveying purposes.

In the following decades, advances in technology continued to improve the quality and resolution of aerial photographs, and the use of remote sensing technology expanded to include other forms of sensing, such as infrared and radar. However, it wasn’t until the launch of the first Earth-observing satellite in 1960 that remote sensing technology began to be used on a global scale.

History & Development of remote sensing in 1886

The history of remote sensing can be traced back to the late 19th century, specifically in 1886, when the first aerial photograph was taken by a camera attached to a balloon. The photograph was taken by the French photographer and balloonist, Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, also known as “Nadar,” during a tethered balloon flight in France. This marked the beginning of the use of aerial photography for mapping and surveying purposes.

In the following years, photographers and scientists continued to experiment with aerial photography using balloons, kites, and later, airplanes. These early efforts laid the foundation for the development of more sophisticated remote sensing technologies in the 20th century.

In the early 20th century, remote sensing techniques were further developed by military forces during World War I and World War II, where aerial photography was used for reconnaissance purposes. This led to the rapid advancement of aerial photography and the development of new cameras and film technologies.

It was not until the 1960s, with the launch of the first civilian Earth-observing satellite, TIROS-1, that remote sensing technology began to be used for peaceful, civilian purposes, including land-use and land-cover mapping, monitoring of natural resources, and disaster management.

The year 1890

The history of remote sensing can be traced back to the late 19th century, around 1890, when scientists first started using balloons and kites to take aerial photographs. These early aerial photographs were used primarily for cartography and topographical mapping.

In 1891, the U.S. Geological Survey used a hot air balloon to take the first aerial photographs in the United States. The photographs were taken to map the landscape of the Adirondack Mountains in New York.

In the following years, balloons and kites were used to take aerial photographs in various countries, including France, Germany, and Russia. These photographs were used to map large areas of land, such as forests and agricultural lands, and to survey areas for infrastructure development and urban planning.

During this time, the technology for aerial photography was still in its infancy and the quality of the photographs was poor. The cameras and lenses used were heavy and bulky, and the photographic plates were sensitive to light, making it difficult to take clear and detailed photographs from high altitudes.

History & Development of remote sensing in 1895

The earliest known use of remote sensing technology dates back to 1895, when the French scientist Paul Sabatier used a balloon to take aerial photographs for mapping purposes. At the time, the camera technology available was not advanced enough to capture high-resolution images, but Sabatier’s work laid the foundation for further developments in aerial photography.

In the early 20th century, aerial photography was further developed for military reconnaissance purposes, with the first military aerial photography unit established by the British Army in 1912. During World War I, both the Allies and the Central Powers extensively used aerial photography for reconnaissance and mapping.

After the war, civilian applications of remote sensing began to develop, with the first civilian aerial photography flight taking place in 1919. However, it wasn’t until the 1930s and 1940s that aerial photography became more widely used for civilian purposes, such as mapping, land survey, and urban planning.

History & Development of remote sensing in 1990

In the 1990s, remote sensing technology continued to advance and become more widely used in various fields. Some key developments from this decade include:

• The launch of the European Space Agency’s ERS-1 satellite in 1991, which was equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor that could penetrate clouds and measure ocean surface waves, as well as land surface characteristics.
• The launch of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor on NASA’s Terra satellite in 1999, which provided high-resolution data on land and ocean surface temperature, vegetation, and atmospheric aerosols.
• The launch of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor on NASA’s Terra satellite in 1999, which provided high-resolution data on topography, land cover, and mineral resources.
• The launch of the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite in 1991, which provided multi-spectral data on land, water, and vegetation resources, and was used for a wide range of applications, including crop area mapping, natural resource management and disaster management.
• The development of digital image processing techniques such as image classification, change detection and GIS integration which greatly improved the ability to analyze and interpret remote sensing data.
• The increased use of remote sensing data in fields such as agriculture, forestry, water resources, and coastal zone management.

Overall, the 1990s saw a significant increase in the number of remote sensing satellites in orbit and the availability of higher-resolution data, which greatly expanded the potential applications of remote sensing technology.

The year 1995

In 1995, remote sensing technology had already been in use for several decades and had a variety of applications in fields such as agriculture, land use, and environmental monitoring.

During this year, several significant developments occurred in the field of remote sensing. One notable event was the launch of the European Space Agency’s ERS-2 satellite, which was equipped with a range of advanced sensors, including a radar altimeter and a synthetic aperture radar, that provided detailed information about the Earth’s surface.

Another important development in 1995 was the launch of the NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Terra satellite, which provided high-resolution imagery and data on a wide range of environmental variables, including vegetation, land use, and water resources.

Additionally, new techniques and algorithms were developed to process and analyze the data collected by remote sensing systems, such as the introduction of the maximum likelihood classifier method for image classification and the use of artificial neural networks for image interpretation.

Overall, by 1995 remote sensing technology had become an important tool for a wide range of environmental and resource management applications, and continued to evolve and improve over the following years.

History & Development of remote sensing in 2000

In the early 2000s, remote sensing technology continued to advance and diversify, with new sensors and platforms being developed for a wide range of applications. Some notable developments during this time include:

• The launch of the Terra satellite in 1999 and the Aqua satellite in 2002, both part of the NASA Earth Observing System, which provided a wealth of data on the Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere.
• The launch of the Envisat satellite in 2002, a joint project of the European Space Agency (ESA) and European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), which provided a wide range of data on the Earth’s environment, including information on land cover, ocean color, and atmospheric composition.
• The development of hyperspectral imaging sensors, which can provide detailed information about the composition of the Earth’s surface by measuring the reflectance of the surface across a wide range of wavelengths.
• The launch of commercial high-resolution satellite imagery providers such as DigitalGlobe and GeoEye, which made high-resolution imagery more widely available for civilian and commercial use.

This period also saw an increasing use of remote sensing data in a wide range of fields, including natural resource management, urban planning, and environmental monitoring. Remote sensing data was also increasingly used in combination with other data sources, such as GPS, GIS and aerial photography, to create more accurate and detailed information products.

Overall, the year 2000 can be considered as a milestone in the history of remote sensing technology, as the technology evolved and matured, and the range of applications expanded.

History & Development of remote sensing in 2015

In 2015, the European Space Agency launched the Sentinel-2A satellite, which was equipped with a high-resolution multispectral imaging sensor and provided data for land and vegetation monitoring, as well as natural disaster response. Additionally, private companies such as Planet Labs, Skybox Imaging (later acquired by Google), and BlackBridge (later acquired by Planet) launched constellations of small imaging satellites for remote sensing applications, including environmental monitoring, urban planning, and agricultural management.

Conclusion

In conclusion, remote sensing technology has a long history dating back to the late 19th century, with its development greatly accelerated during and after World War II. Since then, advancements in sensor technology and increased computational power have led to the development of ever more sophisticated satellite and aircraft-based systems capable of collecting a wide range of data. Remote sensing has now a wide range of applications, including land-use and land-cover mapping, monitoring of natural resources, and disaster management. Remote sensing also plays a crucial role in weather forecasting, climate change research, and global environmental monitoring. In 2015, there were notable advancements and launches of satellite missions such as the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2A and the emergence of private companies launching constellations of small imaging satellites for remote sensing applications.