The RapidEye RESA Germany Mosaic provides a nearly cloud-free view of the country’s geography, natural resources, and infrastructure. It is composed of 374,240 sqkm of multi-spectral RapidEye imagery, acquired between April and October 2015. The product is being provided in the framework of the RapidEye Science Archive (RESA) agreement. Co-funded by the German Federal Government, the fleet of RapidEye satellites were launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in 2008. The satellites are now owned by Planet Labs, Inc. The RapidEye Earth observation system comprises five satellites equipped with high-resolution optical sensors. With a spatial resolution of 6.5 m the 5-band instruments operate in the visible and near-infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. With its high repetition rate the RapidEye constellation can image each point on the Earth’s at least once per day.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a key instrument aboard the Terra (EOS AM-1) and Aqua (EOS PM-1) satellites. Terra's orbit around the Earth is timed so that it passes from north to south across the equator in the morning, while Aqua passes south to north over the equator in the afternoon. Terra MODIS and Aqua MODIS are viewing the entire Earth's surface every 1 to 2 days, acquiring data in 36 spectral bands, or groups of wavelengths (see MODIS Technical Specifications). This mosaic has been generated from Terra and Aqua products acquired between 30 September and 03 October 2011.