Question

Do Very High Resolution satellites such as GeoEye have fixed focal plane array cameras or scanning radiometers?

Answer 1

Remote sensing is a cornerstone of GEOINT. Remote sensing—a major driver of Geographic information Science (GIScience) and Geographic Information Technology (GIT)—is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object. Remote sensing is in direct contrast to direct onsite observation and makes possible data collection over large, dangerous, and inaccessible areas. As such, it is an essential tool in intelligence work. In GEOINT, remote sensing historically referred to the use of satellite and airborne sensors to detect and classify objects related to human activity on Earth. However, this definition has been expanding to include newer types of collection systems (LiDAR, RADAR) as well as terrestrial collection systems.