ASTER Satellite Unprocessed Multispectral Instrument Data

15-meter resolution imagery from the ASTER instrument's Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) bands provides detailed surface reflectance data. The dataset contains reconstructed, unprocessed instrument digital numbers (DNs) for VNIR, Shortwave Infrared (SWIR), and Thermal Infrared (TIR) bands, with appended geometric and radiometric calibration coefficients. LPCLOUD provides this Level 1A data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA's Terra satellite.

Use Cases

• Analyze raw VNIR digital numbers for land cover classification at 15-meter spatial resolution.
• Investigate surface thermal properties using TIR band data prior to its instrument shutdown in January 2026.
• Apply appended geometric correction coefficients to rectify image geometry for precise geolocation.
• Study the SWIR data anomaly and striping patterns present in acquisitions from April 2008 to January 2009.
• Utilize radiometric calibration coefficients to convert instrument DNs to physical units like radiance.

Strengths

• Multispectral data across three telescope systems: VNIR (15m), SWIR (30m), and TIR (90m) spatial resolutions.
• Includes appended geometric and radiometric calibration coefficients for downstream processing.
• Documented known issues and data gaps provide clarity on instrument history and data anomalies.

Limitations

• SWIR detectors ceased functioning in January 2009, and TIR instrument was permanently turned off in January 2026.
• Data gaps exist from November 2024 to January 2025 for VNIR and to April 2025 for TIR due to spacecraft power issues.
• SWIR data from April 2008 to January 2009 exhibits anomalous saturation and striping, affecting usability.

Provenance

Source

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite.

Collection Method

Reconstructed, unprocessed instrument digital numbers derived from acquired telemetry streams.

Time Range

Coverage spans the ASTER mission lifetime, with specific instrument end dates: SWIR (failed Jan 2009), TIR (turned off Jan 2026).

Geography

Global coverage from the Terra satellite's orbit.