The France-based imaging Earth observation satellite system SPOT (Systeme Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre) is actively operating since February 1986.
On September 9, 2012, the innovative spacecraft SPOT-6 was launched on a sun-synchronous orbit by an India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from Satish Dhawan space center on Sriharikota island. SPOT-6 satellite has higher capabilities than its predecessors - SPOT 4 and SPOT 5 - it enables the Earth imaging with a resolution of up to 1.5 m panchromatic and up to 6 m multispectral. Spot-6 and Spot-7 are two high-resolution optical satellites with identical characteristics. Spot-7 was launched on June 30, 2014. The swath width of SPOT-6, same as SPOT-7, is 60 km. Each of SPOT-6 and -7 is able to provide a daily revisit of up to 3 million km2.
The SPOT new generation satellites along with the Pleiades constellation form a single system. This provides customers with imaging in the same area twice a day in both wider swath with high resolution by means of SPOT satellites and detailed imaging with ultra-high resolution by means of Pleiades satellites.
Operator: Airbus Defense and Space (France)
Technical Characteristics
| Modes: | Panchromatic | Multispectral |
| Spectral Range (µm): | 0.45–0.75 | blue: 0.45–0.52 green: 0.53–0.60 red: 0.62–0.69 near infrared: 0.76–0.89 |
| Spatial Resolution, m: | 1.5 | 6.0 |
| Radiometric Resolution: | 12 bits / pixel | |
| Swath Width: | 60 km | |
| Coverage, mln km2/day: | 3, up to 750 scenes per day | |
| Revisit time: | − 1 to 3 days (for one satellite); − 1 day (constellation of two satellites Spot-6 и Spot-7 |
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| Acquire Stereo-Pair: | Yes, from one pass | |