Free Satellite Imagery

Free Satellite Imagery From Authoritative Sources

The secret is there are dozens of authoritative sources with high-quality satellite imagery.

But expect there'due south more than.

Not simply tin can you download the latest, greatest satellite imagery… just information technology'south all FREE.

All you lot need to know is where to find them. Read below to see our go-to list of gratis satellite imagery sources.

And remember – if you just want to wait at satellite imagery without downloading the information, check out our list of 25 satellite maps.

1. USGS Earth Explorer

USGS Earth Explorer

Unlock the power of the USGS Earth Explorer because information technology'due south not just for the United States. No matter where yous live, the USGS Globe Explorer offers the latest satellite view like:

  • LANDSAT: Silently, Lansdat has been circling our planet archiving historical satellite imagery. As early as today, it uploads it to the USGS Earth Explorer.
  • SPY SATELLITES: Imagine beingness able to await back more than fifty+ years in the past. How much would that be worth? Spy satellite imagery like CORONA has been declassified over the years and completely bachelor to the public.
  • HYPERSPECTRAL: If you don't know what hyperspectral imagery is, it's like having spectral detail on steroids. Hyperion was the experimental musical instrument imagined past NASA. Now, Earth Explorer is the simply identify where you can download this hyperspectral imagery.

USGS Earth Explorer is a world-class source for information. If y'all're not familiar with how to use it, here'southward a guide for how to download free Landsat imagery from the USGS Earth Explorer to assist y'all get started.

2. Picket Open Admission Hub

Copernicus Open Access Hub

Watch-2 is the first of a new and exciting era in open and free satellite imagery. It's not but because coverage spans the entire globe. But information technology'south besides because Sentinel-two has some of the virtually current satellite photos available to download at a high resolution.

Sentinels Open up Access Hub is the official headquarters to download Sentinel imagery. It's a chip quirky to get used to, then bank check out our guide for how to download Lookout man-2 imagery.

  • Spotter-two: Two satellites make Sentinel-ii. Due to its popularity, there volition exist 2 more satellites in the coming years. Lookout man-ii has x-meter resolution in cerise, green, blueish, and nigh-infrared. Its 12 spectral bands range from coastal to SWIR bands. It'southward just been 5 years since its launch. But demand has soared, making it one of the most popular free satellite imagery available.
  • SENTINEL-ane: If you need synthetic discontinuity radar (SAR) imagery, Sentry-1 is C-band. The potential for SAR is endless. Merely you don't get the pretty picture like Sentinel-2.

After you download Sentinel imagery, how do yous use it? Download the ESA'southward open up source Watch-2 Toolbox. All toolboxes give you the framework to embrace a rich set of assay, visualization, and processing tools.

3. NASA Earthdata Search

NASA Earthdata Search

There'southward a lot to similar about NASA's Earthdata Search, specifically for Earth science data discovery. Specially, the choices of satellite imagery is incredible.

  • DERIVED Information: Most of NASA's Earth Data is an analysis product for the study of Earth Science. For instance, information technology's anything from the biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere or atmosphere. Most products come from a information and applications middle (DAAC).
  • LAND COVER: NASA Earthdata is also an splendid source of global land use and cover. Only it's not just your typical land cover classes. It has specialized satellite-derived data similar permafrost and wetland types.

Our suggestion is to start with a simple search. Then, modify the fourth dimension range criteria to narrow downwards your search. Finally, download your free satellite imagery. Yous'll go the hang of it later on a couple of tries. This NASA's EarthData Search Usage Tutorial will aid.

4. NOAA Information Admission Viewer

NOAA Data Access Viewer

NOAA replaced their aerial photography ordering organisation with the NOAA Data Admission Viewer. At present, it's where you notice authoritative datasets along the coasts. But it'southward non but for satellite imagery. You tin can download:

  • Aerial/SATELLITE IMAGERY: The NOAA Data Access Viewer holds satellite, aerial and LiDAR imagery. First, enter in your area of interest. In one case you practise this, all the bachelor information sets will appear in the right-side pane. From here, all y'all accept to do is download.

NOAA Data Access Viewer is out of beta mode now. But the download speeds are even so tiresome and sluggish. Overall, this is a great option for coastal areas like California, Florida, and New York.

5. DigitalGlobe Open Data Programme

DigitalGlobe Open Data Program

If yous want loftier-resolution satellite imagery in the world, try harnessing the ability of DigitalGlobe. In fact, it's so sharp that yous can nigh see license plates.

By no ways, yous can download the entire DigitalGlobe library of 30cm imagery for free. Instead, you tin download complimentary satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe in 2 ways:

  • Open up Information Programme: For any natural disaster, DigitalGlobe's Open Data Plan supplies satellite imagery for relief. For example, fires, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, and earthquakes are part of this listing. They release data into the public domain under a Artistic Commons 4.0 license. Accept a look at any recent natural disaster outcome, and I'll bet you it's in that location.
  • SAMPLE Information: If you lot want to simply experiment, endeavor downloading from their sample imagery. For example, it has building footprints, summit, stereo and truthful color imagery.

These are examples of high-resolution satellite imagery. If you couldn't find what you were looking for here, the adjacent pick is your second best selection.

6. Geo-Airbus Defense force

Geo Airbus

But like DigitalGlobe, Geo-Airbus Defense force is a commercial vendor. From satellites similar SPOT, Pleiades, RapidEye, these are some of the best in form.
Geo-Airbus Defense also has a collection of sample imagery. Just unfortunately, their free satellite imagery selection is quite limited.

  • SAMPLE IMAGERY: Geo Airbus Defence force Systems offers 140+ sample images for experimentation. For optical imagery, it gets as finer every bit one.five meters with SPOT. Radar imagery from TerraSAR-X is equally sharp equally iii meters. Finally, you tin get a cut of the unrivaled 12-meter WorldDEM. This is much finer and authentic than ASTER and SRTM global DEMs.

vii. NASA Worldview

NASA Worldview

NASA Worldview isn't very good for downloading raw information. For case, you tin't even download the famous Blue Marble here. But you can practice it on NASA NEO. What information technology is skillful for is providing access to a diverseness of scientific products.

  • SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTS: The goal of NASA Worldview is to showcase scientific products across disciplines. For case, there's a section for hazards and disasters. Likewise, yous can filter satellite-derived products by science discipline.

If you want to download free satellite imagery, you accept to add the layer to the map. Next, you have to pick the engagement in the timber slider below. Finally, click the data tab in the legend and click the "Download Information" button.

viii. NOAA CLASS

NOAA Class

From land to our skies and oceans, information technology'southward time to ready sails with NOAA Class. NOAA'due south library of satellite imagery is Comprehensive Large Array-information Stewardship System (CLASS).

To access it, you lot have to register for an account. And then, you tin log in and start downloading satellite imagery. NOAA CLASS is a bit messy. But you can categorize NOAA CLASS into 3 sections:

  • OCEANIC IMAGERY: NOAA manages and protects coastlines with CoastWatch. CoastWatch is a collection of measurements such as wind, temperature, and color. All come up from satellites similar JASON, POES and GOES.
  • ATMOSPHERIC IMAGERY: When it comes to our weather, GOES knows atmospheric condition. In fact, GOES-R is the most avant-garde fleet of weather satellites to this twenty-four hour period. So, these satellite imagery scenes capture everything from hurricanes to tornadoes.
  • ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE: These products cover everything from ozone to droplets.

Even though NOAA CLASS isn't as intuitive as the remainder, you lot still get to deep-dive into our oceans and temper. And that's pretty skilful.

9. National Institute for Space Inquiry (INPE)

INPE

The National Constitute for Space Enquiry (INPE) is Brazil's infinite research branch. They've adult the INPE Image Catalog which is like a library to download gratis satellite imagery. A big function of this catalog is satellite imagery from CBERS.

  • CBERS: The partnership between Brazil and China has their ain joint mission. The key data fix in this catalog is China–Brazil Earth Resources (CBERS ii). According to INPE, it will include CBERS 4, ResourceSat and Great britain-DMC ii too.

The ane caveat is that the data is specific to Due south America and Africa. If you're OK with that, you can translate the website from Portuguese to English. Once you practice that, y'all'll have to create an account. Considering for every request y'all make, INPE sends download details to your email.

Next, select your satellite and sensor. Then, choose a country in South America and Africa. Finally, add information technology to your cart, and click "Become Alee". From here, you can download your gratuitous satellite imagery from the INPE FTP site.

10. Bhuvan Indian Geo-Platform of ISRO

Bhuvan Geo-portal

India has made tremendous strides in satellite remote sensing engineering. In fact, the launch of the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS 1A) satellite dates back to 1998. Since then, information has become available on the Bhuvan Indian Geo-Platform.

The platform is well-built. But most of the data is for Republic of india just. This includes IMS-1 (Hyperspectral), Cartosat, OceanSat and ResourceSat. All are Indian satellites. The following products are besides bachelor to download outside of India:

  • NDVI: Normalized Deviation Vegetation Index Global Coverage.
  • CARTODEM: This xxx-meter elevation model uses stereo images from overlapping Cartosat-1 images.

11. JAXA'southward Global ALOS 3D World

JAXA ALOS

ALOS World 3d is a xxx-meter spatial resolution digital surface model (DSM). JAXA built it and recently released it to the public. The neat matter about this is that information technology is the most precise global-scale summit data at this time.

It uses the Advanced Land Observing Satellite "DAICHI" (ALOS) which is a blazon of L-band radar. If you want to download ALOS 3D, go to the JAXA Global ALOS portal. Next, you'll have to register for an account. Subsequently blessing, y'all can download it through the download portal.

12. VITO Vision

Vito Vision

The VITO Vision website offers PROBA-V, SPOT-Vegetation and METOP equally gratis satellite imagery. These coarse resolution satellites carve out vegetation patterns across the Globe's surface.

Information technology takes some time and effort to create an business relationship for VITO Vision. The interface is intuitive and delivers free low-resolution satellite data at your fingertips. This type of data is skillful for large film applications that don't need the finer details.

13. NOAA Digital Coast

NOAA DIgital Coast

It's all about the beautiful seashore, when you lot're exploring for data on NOAA's Digital Declension. Coastal data is all yous're going to arrive this imagery platform.

To download data, select your area of interest. Ascertain your data set to download. And sift through the results. Y'all have benthic, elevation, imagery, land encompass, and socio-economical information. You lot get a range of complimentary satellite imagery to choose from such as radar, infrared, and true color composites.

fourteen. Satellite Land Embrace

Global Land Cover Facility

We have never had this good of a perspective of our changing planet considering of satellite imagery. Some of the biggest challenges we face today are best understood through satellite land cover. This is because remote sensing covers that much more than footing.

  • Country Cover: We list the best global country comprehend data sources from Landsat, MODIS and AVHRR. Global land cover quantifies land embrace change effectually the world. This includes vegetation, geologic, agriculture, hydrologic and urban areas.

xv. UNAVCO

UNAVCO Data Portal

Let's cap things off with UNAVCO. University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO) is an arrangement of universities. If you don't know who UNAVCO is, here'due south UNAVCO Explained in 3 Minutes.

Their master goal is to back up scientific research using geodesy engineering science. Because our world is all connected, UNAVCO provides access to geodesy data. For case, recollect of flooding, plate tectonics, and earthquakes.

  • SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR: Their platform is the UNAVCO SAR Archive Search User Interface. This website is flooded with synthetic aperture radar from satellites sources. Simply first, you'll need a username and password. So, you can finally become your easily on the data.

Summary: 15 Free Satellite Imagery Data Sources

Satellite data has opened upwardly new channels on how nosotros view the planet.

Instead of spending days searching for a good base of operations map, yous tin tap into this listing of free satellite imagery data.

You've learned some of the central data centers to collect free satellite imagery from around the globe.

…But did we miss anything? Let us know below.

…And if y'all want to bank check out some of our other sources for elevation, GIS data, and LiDAR, so check out some of the links below:

  • v Free Global DEM Data Sources – Digital Peak Models
  • 10 Free GIS Information Sources: Best Global Raster and Vector Datasets
  • Top 6 Gratis LiDAR Information Sources

Subscribe to our newsletter: