List of Earth observation satellites

Earth observation satellites are Earth-orbiting spacecraft with sensors used to collect imagery and measurements of the surface of the earth. These satellites are used to monitor short-term weather, long-term climate change, natural disasters. Earth observations satellites provide information for research subjects that benefit from looking at Earth’s surface from above. Types of sensors on these satellites include passive and active remote sensors. Sensors on Earth observation satellites often take measurements of emitted energy over some portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The invention of climate research through the use of satellite remote telemetry began in the 1960s through development of space probes to study other planets. During the U.S. economic decline in 1977, with much of NASA's money going toward the shuttle program, the Reagan Administration proposed to reduce spending on planetary exploration. During this time, new scientific evidence emerged from ice and sediment cores that Earth's climate had experienced rapid changes in temperature, running contrary to the previously held belief that the climate changed on a geological time scale. These changes increased political interest in gathering remote-sensing data on the Earth itself and stimulated the science of climatology.

Classification

The lists below classify Earth observation satellites in two large groups: satellites operated by government agencies of one or more countries versus commercial satellites built and maintained by companies. The satellite lifetime, between launch and reentry, is often called a satellite mission. These lists focus on currently active missions, rather than inactive retired missions or planned future missions. However, some examples of past and future satellites are included. Active, inactive, or planned classifications are relevant as of 2021.

Satellites launched by governmental agencies

Active government satellites

Name	Status	Agency	Launch	Description
ALOS-2	Active	JAXA	2014
ALOS-4	Active	JAXA	2024
Alsat-2A and 2B	Active	Algerian Space Agency	2016
Amazônia-1	Active	Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research	2021
Aqua	Active	NASA	2002	Carries six instruments to observe interactions among the four spheres for Earth's systems: oceans, land, atmosphere, and biosphere.
ASNARO-2	Active	JAXA	2018
Aura	Active	NASA	2004	Studies earth's ozone, air quality, and climate though observation of composition, chemistry, and dynamics of the atmosphere.
Badr-B	Active	Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission	2001
Biomass	Active	ESA	2025	Comprehensive measurements of global forest biomass
	Active	National Academy of Sciences of Belarus	2012
Cartosat-1	Active	Indian Space Research Organization	2005
Cartosat-2A and 2B	Active	ISRO	2007
Cartosat-2C, 2D, 2E, and 2F	Active	ISRO	2016
Cartosat-3	Active	ISRO	2019
CBERS-4	Active	Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research and China National Space Administration	2014
Chollian 1, 2A, and 2B	Active	KARI	2010	Also known as Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellites. Used for communication, oceanography, and meteorological observation.
CloudSat	Active	NASA	2006	Uses radar to measure the altitude and properties of clouds.
COSMO-SkyMed 1 to 4	Active	Italian Space Agency	2007	Used for defense and security assurance in Italy and other countries, seismic hazard analysis, environmental disaster monitoring, and agricultural mapping.
CryoSat-2	Active	ESA	2010
CYGNSS	Active	NASA	2016	Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System.
DSCOVR	Active	NASA	2015	Deep Space Climate Observatory. Designed to study the Sun-lit side of Earth from the L1 Lagrange point.
DubaiSat-1 and 2	Active	Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre	2009
EarthCARE	Active	ESA and JAXA	2024	Designed to study clouds and aerosols.
Elektro-L No. 1, 2, and 3	Active	Russia's Roscosmos	2011
Fengyun 2D to 4A	Active	China Meteorological Administration	2006	Translated from Chinese, the word Fengyun means "wind cloud." Series 3 satellites are Sun-synchronous and series 2 and 4 satellites are geosynchronous.
Formosat-5	Active	Taiwan’s National Space Organization	2017
Gaofen-2	Active	CNSA	2014
Gaofen-3	Active	CNSA	2016
GOES-16 and 17	Active	NASA	2016	Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite. Collects weather observations. See also: List of GOES satellites.
Gokturk-1	Active	Turkish Ministry of National Defense	2016	Used for mapping and planning, landcover survey, geology, ecosystem monitoring, disaster management, environmental control, coastal zone management, and water resources.
Gokturk-2	Active	Turkish Ministry of National Defense	2012	Used for mapping and planning, landcover survey, geology, ecosystem monitoring, disaster management, environmental control, coastal zone management, and water resources.
GPM	Active	NASA and JAXA	2014	Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory. Used to study rainfall and snowfall.
GRACE-FO	Active	NASA	2018	Gravity and climate. The mission will track changes in global sea levels, glaciers, and ice sheets, as well as large lake and river water levels, and soil moisture.
GOSAT	Active	JAXA	2009	Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite. The first precise carbon dioxide observing satellite and precursor to OCO-2.
Himawari 8 and 9	Active	Japan Meteorological Agency	2014	Similar to NASA's GOES satellites.
ICESat-2	Active	NASA	2018	Measures ice sheet height changes for climate change diagnoses.
IMS-1	Active	ISRO	2008
ISS	Active	NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA	1998	The International Space Station has long been used as a central satellite platform for other sensors, including Earth observation sensors. For example: LIS, SAGE III, TSIS-I, ECOSTRESS, GEDI, OCO-3, Diwata-1, and HICO.
Jason-3	Active	NASA and CNES	2016	Radar altimeter used to monitor ocean surface height.
KhalifaSat	Active	MBRSC	2018	Also known as DubaiSat-3.
KOMPSAT-2	Active	KARI	2006	Korean Multi-purpose Satellite-2. Also known as Arirang-2.
KOMPSAT-3, 3A, and 5	Active	KARI	2012	Korean Multi-purpose Satellite-3, 3A, and 5. Also known as Arirang-3, 3A, and 5.
LAGEOS-1 and 2	Active	NASA	1976	LAGEOS 1 launched in 1976 and LAGEOS 2 launched in 1992. Used as an orbiting benchmark for geodynamical studies.
Landsat-8	Active	NASA and USGS	2013	Follow on to Landsat-7 with improved imager OLI and thermal sensor TIRS.
Landsat-9	Active	NASA and USGS	2021	Follow on to Landsat-8 with OLI sensor and thermal sensor TIRS-2. Landsat-9 will extend the Landsat program to maintain the time series of these types of data.
Megha-Tropiques	Active	CNES and ISRO	2011
Meteor-M No. 1 and 2	Active	Roscosmos	2009
Meteosat 8	Active	EUMETSAT	2002	Also known as MSG 1.
MetOp A, B, and C	Active	NASA, ESA, and NOAA	2006	Meteorological Operational satellite. Part of the Polar Operational Environmental Satellites program.
Mohammed VI-A and VI-B	Active	Arianespace and Morocco	2017	See also: Vega flight VV11 and Vega flight VV13
NigComSat-1R	Active	NASRDA	2009	DFH-4 satellite and replacement for the failed NigComSat-1
NigeriaSat-1 and 2	Active	NASRDA	2003	Part of the worldwide Disaster Monitoring Constellation System
NOAA-15, 18, and 19	Active	NASA, ESA, and NOAA	1998	Part of the Polar Operational Environmental Satellites program.
NOAA-20	Active	NASA and NOAA	2017	Part of the Joint Polar Satellite System program.
Oceansat-2	Active	ISRO	2009
OCO-2	Active	NASA	2014	Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2. Part of the A-Train. The second precise carbon dioxide observing satellite after GOSAT.
PACE	Active	NASA	2024	Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem measures hyperspectral and polarimetric characteristics of solar radiation reflected off Earth’s surface and atmosphere.
PakTES-1A	Active	SUPARCO	2018
Paz	Active	Spain's Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial	2018
Pleiades 1A and 1B	Active	CNES	2011
PRISMA	Active	Italian Space Agency	2019	PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa, in English: Hyperspectral Precursor of the Application Mission.
PROBA-V	Active	ESA	2013	Continues the traditional Vegetation products that began with the SPOT satellites.
PRSS-1	Active	SUPARCO	2018	Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite 1.
RCM	Active	CSA	2019	RADARSAT Constellation Mission.
RADARSAT-2	Active	CSA	2007	C-band synthetic aperture radar satellite.
RASAT	Active	TÜBITAK-UZAY	2011
Resourcesat-1 and 2	Active	ISRO	2003
Resurs-P No.1 and 2	Active	Roscosmos	2013
SAOCOM	Active	CONAE	2018
SARAL	Active	ISRO	2013
Sentinel-1A, B, C, and D	Active	ESA	2014	Constellation of two, each satellite carries C-SAR sensor. Part of the Copernicus Programme.
Sentinel-2A, B, and C	Active	ESA	2015	Constellation of three, each satellite carries MSI sensor for high spatial resolution imaging. Part of the Copernicus Programme.
Sentinel-3A and B	Active	ESA	2016	Constellation of two, each satellite carries sensors OLCI and SLSTR. Slightly coarser spatial resolution and more spectral bands than Sentinel-2. Part of the Copernicus Programme.
Sentinel-6A and B	Active	ESA	2020	Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level and provide information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies.
SMAP	Active	NASA	2015	Soil Moisture Active Passive. Measures soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state, which enhance understanding of processes that link water, energy, and carbon cycles to extend the capabilities of weather and climate models. Radar payload failed in July 2015, leaving a radiometer as the primary instrument of the mission.
SORCE	Active	NASA	2003	monitors total output from the Sun for understanding of Earth's absorption of radiation energy.
Suomi NPP	Active	NASA	2011	Part of the Joint Polar Satellite System program.
SWOT	Active	CNES and NASA	2022
TanDEM-X	Active	DLR	2010
Terra	Active	NASA	1999	Carries five instruments to observe the state of the atmosphere, land, and oceans, as well as their interactions with solar radiation and with one another.
TerraSAR-X	Active	DLR	2007
THEOS	Active	GISTDA	2008	Also known as Thaichote.
TIMED	Active	NASA	2001	Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics, and Dynamics.
VNREDSat-1A	Active	VAST	2013	The Vietnamese Natural Resources, Environment and Disaster Monitoring Satellite.
VRSS-1 and 2	Active	ABAE	2012	The Venezuelan Remote Sensing Satellite.
Sentinel-5 Precursor	Active	ESA	2017
SMOS	Active	ESA	2009