Remote sensing technology has come a long way in the past few decades and is now being used for a wide variety of applications across different industries globally. Remote sensing refers to the process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance, usually from aircraft or satellites. With advancements in sensor technologies and data processing capabilities, remote sensing services have greatly improved in accuracy, resolution and coverage. This has led to new opportunities for monitoring global changes and development applications.

Emergence of Commercial Satellite Imagery

The commercialization of satellite imagery in the 1990s marked a turning point for the remote sensing industry. Prior to this, satellite data was largely restricted for defense and military uses by governments. However, the emergence of private remote sensing companies launching their own imaging satellites made high resolution satellite imagery openly available to a much wider user base at affordable costs. Companies like DigitalGlobe, Planet Labs and BlackSky now operate large fleets of imaging satellites that can revisit locations daily and provide imagery at sub-meter resolution globally. This democratization of remote sensing data has fueled new commercial applications as well as research in many domains.

Global Remote Sensing Services - https://www.coherentmi.com/blog/advancing-global-remote-sensing-services-60