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Symposium on Remote Sensing for Resources Development and Environmental Management / Enschede / August 1986 
EARTHSCAN - A range of remote sensing systems 
D.R.Sloggett & C.McGeachy 
Environmental and Space Systems Group, Software Sciences Limited, Famborough, Hampshire, UK 
ABSTRACT: Todays users of remote sensing systems require a capability to easily enhance and develop those 
systems to incorporate the results of state-of-the-art research, new applications and the launch of new 
satellites. 
The EARTHSCAN range of remote sensing systems has been designed around a core set of image processing and 
image manipulation routines to provide a basic building block on which to carry out both operational remote 
sensing and research work. The systems are designed in a modular way, for expansion, and to be portable 
between different host computer systems. A user friendly MMI enables the operator to use the system, and 
images are displayed on an associated workstation. The systems incorporate an advanced Geographic 
Information System (GIS) capability. 
The paper describes the architecture of the systems and their associated baseline image processing 
functions. Adaption of the system to generate new products, enhance the catalogue, add new image processing 
routines is illustrated. The range of systems are unique and cater for future developments, applications and 
new satellites. 
1 INTRODUCTION 
The planned programme of remote sensing satellites 
due to be launched over the next 15 years has given 
a strong impetus to the development of remote 
sensing applications. The prospects for continued 
coverage and the long term availability of data 
across a wide geographic area have increased the 
interest of a number of user groups. In particular 
the prospects for the polar platform, to provide a 
long term facility, has been the focus of attention 
for a number of studies within the UK. 
Currently there is one main source of operational 
remote sensing data for land applications, the 
American polar orbiting satellite LANDSAT, operated 
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA). To date there have been four 
LANDSAT satellites and plans are advanced for the 
replacement of these satellites to provide a 
continuing service into the 21st century. A 
significant European contribution to satellite 
remote sensing is the deployment of the independent 
French remote sensing satellite, SPOT and the 
planned launch of ERS-1 in 1989. 
During the last ten years the capabilities and 
accuracy of the satellite sensors has increased 
offering a more useful stream of data to a wider 
range of users. Techniques for processing satellite 
data have also been rapidly developing over the past 
few years, due to intensive research, rather than in 
operational systems. 
The United Kingdom has recognised the benefits to 
be gained by playing a leading role in the remote 
sensing area and has invested considerable sums of 
money and effort into a national remote sensing 
programme. 
The United Kingdom is currently playing a leading 
role in the ERS-1 project and this is paving the way 
for the development of a national remote sensing 
infrastructure of archiving, processing and 
dissemination facilities. Under development in the 
UK, and in collaboration with ESA, the ERS Data 
Centre is currently at the Phase B stage of project 
definition. The consortium carrying out the design 
is led by Software Sciences with Huntings, Marconi 
Research Centre, Smith Associates and GEMS of 
Cambridge all collaborating in the project work. 
Resulting from this and other remote sensing 
projects, plus the investment of considerable 
private venture funds, a range of systems called the 
EARTHSCAN range have been developed by Software 
Sciences to cover a wide range of remote sensing 
applications. Growth is built into the systems to 
cater for the development of new techniques and 
application areas. 
Input data can be from one of a number of primary 
sources, live data, or from secondary sources, via 
magnetic tape input. 
The EARTHSCAN range is modular with a series of 
facilities from the 200 to the 5000 series system. 
The product range is divided, according to the 
primary sources processed, into three systems: 
CLOUDSCAN (TIROS-N, GOES, METEOSAT) 
LANDSCAN (LANDSAT, SPOT, IRS-1) 
SEASCAN (SEASAT, ERS-1, RADARSAT, NROSS) 
The LANDSCAN system is one of this range of 
computer systems developed in the United Kingdom by 
Software Sciences Limited in collaboration with the 
UK National Remote Sensing Centre. These systems 
cover Land, Sea and Meteorological applications and 
are amongst the most advanced systems of their type 
in the world. The systems support the following 
satellites: 
LANDSAT (MSS, TM) 
TIROS-N 
SEASAT 
ERS-1 (simulated data) 
SPOT 1 
Growth exists in all systems for the introduction 
of imagery from a wide range of new satellite 
systems including: 
MOSS 
ERS-1