International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXII Part 7C2, UNISPACE III. Vienna. 1999 
136 
UNISPA CE III - ISPRS/NASA Seminar on 
“Environment and Remote Sensing for Sustainable Development” 
9:00 am -12:00 pm, 23 July 1999, VIC Room A 
Vienna, Austria 
the 1992 ISPRS findings. A four year process in the U.S. 
culminated in both a licensing policy in March 1994 and 
commercial business plans to create a space-based digital 
mapping system operating in Band 3. IKONOS will 
incorporate both 1 meter black & white and four band (near 
IR, red, green, and blue) multi-spectral. 4 meter, sensors. To 
enhance spectral and spatial content IKONOS incorporates 
absolute and relative radiometric calibration methods versus 
conventional 6-8 bit systems. To further stretch the 
information content the digital imagery dynamic range is 
collected at 11 bit (2048) quantization. IKONOS also 
provides metric accuracies capable of producing maps in the 
1:2,400 regime with ground control and 1.24,000 scale 
accuracies without ground control. 
Product substitution of digital geospatial imagery for analog, 
film based aerial mapping products formed the basis of the 
commercial business plan. International, timeshare, use of 
Band 3 commercial products were seen to provide cost 
effective information sources for addressing pressing needs 
in the areas of economic, social, security and environmental 
development. When the commercial products become 
available, a shift tow'ard information systems and technology 
development and away from aerospace systems and 
technology offers tremendous economic alternatives to very 
costly, long duration indigenous space system development 
and operations. 
Space Imaging, w-hile initially oriented on a 1 meter, Band 3. 
system with its IKONOS satellite (Figure 1), acquired 
EOSAT in 1996 and broadened its constellation, products 
and services into Bands 4, 5. and 6 as shown in Figure 2. In 
addition to the satellite sources. Space Imaging is now 
offering a Band 2 Digital Aerial Imaging System (DAIS). Of 
central significance to Space Imaging, in particular, and the 
remote sensing industry, in general, is the concept of 
information products that are geospatially referenced using 
fixed, known ground control points or possibly georeferenced 
using the Global Position System (GPS), differentially and. 
perhaps, in conjunction with GLONASS. By offering “one 
stop shopping’’ product and services to customers, the focus 
is on end use, “final value” for the customer. 
Ortho 
Geo Correct & GCPs 
Camera Mode! 
ISllI 
VV.„ 
Radiometric Correction 
.Seamless Mosaic 
Orthorectification 
Digital Elevation of Terrain & 
Geometric Correction Using Ground Control 
Geometric Correction Using Satellite Camera 
Figure 2: INFORMATION PRODUCTS & SERVICES