RapidEye
Main objectives	• Collect and archive moderate-resolution, reflective multispectral and thermal image data globally (over land). • Ensure that data are consistent with data from the earlier Landsat missions, to permit studies of land cover and land use change over multi-decadal periods. • Distribute standard data products to users at no cost.
(source)		(source)
Platform
Satellite name	RapidEye
Manufacturer	SSTL (Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., Guildford, Surrey, UK)
Operator	BlackBridge
Sensors	AOSC, ADCS
Launch date	August 29, 2008
Launch vehicle	Dnepr launch vehicle
Satellite mass	156 kg
Design lifetime	>7 years
Maximal lifetime	Currently calculated to be 12 years
Orbit
Altitude	630 km
Inclination	97.8 degree
Orbital period	96.7 minutes
Characteristics	Sun Synchronous
Overpass time	11:00 AM
Repeat coverage	5.5 days ( ∼82 orbits)
Coverage	Global
Sensor
Type	Multispectral Imager
Manufacturer	Jena-Optronik GmbH
Sensor type	Pushbroom scanner
Swath width (FOV)	70 km (6.75 degree)
Pixel size (GIFOV)	6.5 m (spatial resolution);
Radiometric resolution	12 bit
Spectral bands	Band Nr Band Name Spectral range (nm) Pixel size 1 Blue 440 - 510 30 m 2 Green 520 - 590 3 Red 630 - 690 4 Red edge 690 - 730 5 NIR 760 - 880
Data
Data provider	BlackBridge
Data distribution	basic images available through free system; full data purchased through BlackBridge
Data access	http://eyefind.rapideye.com
Data archive	2008 - Current
Processing levels	RapidEye specific processing: 1B - Basic Product; 3A - Ortho Product; 3B - Ortho Take Product; 3M - Mosaic Products
Data format	GeoTIFF 16 bit
Image catalog	http://eyefind.rapideye.com
Publications (190 total)
Tigges, J., T. Lakes, and P. Hostert. 2013. "Urban vegetation classification: Benefits of multitemporal RapidEye satellite data". Remote Sensing of Environment. 136: 66-75. The paper discusses using imaging and a support-vector-machine to analyze different genera of trees in Berlin, Germany.
Vaudour, E., J.M. Gilliot, L. Bel, L. Brechet, J. Hamiache, D. Hadjar, and Y. Lemonnier. 2014. "Uncertainty of soil reflectance retrieval from SPOT and RapidEye multispectral satellite images using a per-pixel bootstrapped empirical line atmospheric correction over an agricultural region". International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation. 26: 217-234. The paper looks at reflectance for bare soils and the validation techniques used.
Krischke, M., W. Niemeyer, and S. Scherer. 2000. "RapidEye satellite based geo-information system". Acta Astronautica. 46 (2): 307-312. The paper discusses the RapidEye system as well as its value an ability to obtain high quality images quickly.
Costa, Alexandre Cunha, Saskia Foerster, José Carlos Araújo, and Axel Bronstert. 2013. "Analysis of channel transmission losses in a dryland river reach in north-eastern Brazil using streamflow series, groundwater level series and multi-temporal satellite data". Hydrological Processes. 27 (7): 1046-1060. This paper examines means of better modeling transmission losses in drylands, specifically for the Middle Jaguaribe River in Brazil.
Tillack, A., A. Clasen, B. Kleinschmit, and M. Forster. 2014. "Estimation of the seasonal leaf area index in an alluvial forest using high-resolution satellite-based vegetation indices". Remote Sensing of Environment. 141: 52-63. The paper compares four different methods of analyzing leaf area index.
References
WIKI	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RapidEye
EOportal	https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/r/rapideye
Spectral bands	http://blackbridge.com/rapideye/about/satellites.htm
Data format	http://blackbridge.com/rapideye/about/satellites.htm