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18th International Congress for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vienna, Austria, July 1996 
Commission IV, Working Group IV/2-ISPRS 
INTERNATIONAL MAPPING FROM SPACE 
Gottfried Konecny 
Institute of Photogrammetry and Engineering Surveys, University of Hannover 
Nienburger Str. 1, D-30167 Hannover, Germany 
KEY WORDS: Satellite Mapping, Satellite Systems 
ABSTRACT 
The paper outlines first the reasons, why mapping from satellites is a necessity (lack of adequate map 
coverage in developing continents, lack of timely updates). Secondly it describes the changing philosophy 
of the ISPRS Working Group "International Mapping from Space". Thirdly it lists all current and planned 
satellite missions capable of providing data for mapping from space. The development of new satellite 
systems with increased performance by many space nations is an indication that operational use of space 
mapping is to be expected widely soon. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
ISPRS isthe international and scientific organization 
principally concerned with data acquisition for 
mapping. Aerial Photogrammetry, in fact, became 
the only efficient tool to solve the World's mapping 
program in priority areas. Presently 1/3 of the land 
area of the World is topographically mapped at the 
scale 1:25 000, 2/3 at the scale 1:50 000 and 95 96 
at the scale 1:250 000. Thematic maps are based 
on topographic mapping. The advantage of the 
mapping system based on aerial photography is that 
it easily reaches planimetric and altimetric require- 
ments of + 5 m, if adequate geodetic control exists, 
and it permits to detect objects larger than 1 m on 
the ground. 
The disadvantage of the current system lies in the 
fact that updating is on a world average not carried 
out more often than every 20 years for the scale 
1:25 000, every 45 years for the scale 1:50 000 and 
every 30 years for the scale 1:250 000. Only few 
areas of the world (e.g. Europe) have a more 
satisfactory situation, while the developing conti- 
nents (Latin America, Africa) have a lesser progress, 
because the current mapping system is too costly in 
comparison to other national priorities. 
Satellite remote sensing, as a new tool, is capable 
of offering relief, if accuracy specifications can be 
met for planimetry and height, and if object detect- 
ability is sufficient for the particular mapping scale 
(e.g. 1-2 m Pixel for 1:10 000, 3-5 m Pixel for 1:25 
000, 5-10 m Pixel for 1:50 000; for photo-graphic 
Systems a relation of 1 Ip = 2 to 3 Pixel should be 
assumed). 
Restitution by satellite imagery is by a factor of 2 to 
4 less costly, and it can lead to much faster results, 
especially for map updates, which are the real 
bottleneck. 
465 
2. THE ISPRS WORKING GROUP 
The ISPRS WG IV/2 is the heir to initial activities 
within ISPRS during the Hamburg (1980), Rio 
(1984) and Kyoto (1988) Congresses under A. 
Colvocoresses. At that time the objective was to 
show to the space community, that from the point of 
view of the mapping community the resolution of 
available earth resources satellites, like Landsat, 
was too coarse in resolution, as to provide a tool for 
mapping and map updating. An exception were the 
experimental efforts by Germany (Metric Camera in 
1983) and by the USA (Large Format Camera in 
1984). 
However, due to the experimental nature of these 
systems, the satellite uses for mapping never took 
off. This changed in 1986 with the launch of Spot 1, 
however, the programming of the satellite became a 
handicap for obtaining stereo imagery from two 
different orbits. 
Theaim of the WG effort before the Kyoto Congress 
was, therefore, to design a satellite system with 
parameters, suitable for mapping at medium and 
small scales. Such a proposal was prepared as 
"Mapsat' by the US Geological Survey with the 
endorsement of the Working Group. 
At the Kyoto Congress in 1988 the Intercommission 
Working Group l/IV "International Mapping from 
Space" was created. At the Commission | Symp- 
osium of 1990 in Manaus, Brazil, a series of papers 
was produced and published, which made recom- 
mendations regarding the following topics: 
e legal aspects regarding an open skies policy, not 
limiting spatial resolution 
e the suggestion to the United Nations and the 
international multidonor community for technical 
and economic cooperation to developing countries 
to internationalize efforts 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B4. Vienna 1996