The TERRA spacecraft (former AM-1) was launched by NASA on December 18, 1999 from Vandenberg Air Force Base (USA), California.
The satellite carries an Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER). It was placed into a near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 705km.
The ASTER complex consists of three telescopes, each operating in a different spectral range with different spatial resolution. The sensor of VNIR range (Visible Near Infrared) serves to receive data with a resolution of up to 15 m, SWIR (Shortwave Infrared) with a spatial resolution of 30 m and TIR (Thermal Infrared) with a spatial resolution of 90 m. The swath width for all sensors is the same = 60 m.
Technical Characteristics
| Modes: | VNIR | SWIR | TIR |
| Spectral Range (µm): | 1: 0.52-0.60 2: 0.63-0.69 3N: 0.76-0.86 3B: 0.76-0.86 |
4: 1.600-1.700 5: 2.145-2.185 6: 2.185-2.225 7: 2.235-2.285 8: 2.295-2.365 9: 2.360-2.430 |
10: 8.125-8.475 11: 8.475-8.825 12: 8.925-9.275 13: 10.25-10.95 14: 10.95-11.65 |
| Spatial Resolution: | 15 m | 30 m | 90 m |
| Data Rate: | 62 Mbits/sec | 23 Mbits/sec | 4.2 Mbits/sec |
| Swath Width: | 60 km | 60 km | 60 km |
| Radiometric Resolution: | 8 bits/pixel | 8 bits/pixel | 12 bits/pixel |
| Repeat Coverage: | 16 days | ||
| Acquire Stereo-Pair: | Yes, from one pass | ||