The Benefits of RapidEye Satellite Imagery (The Red Edge)

Currently, five satellites are orbiting the planet equipped with high resolution sensors, able to image any farm on the globe. The sensors, on board each identical satellite, are equipped with five bands: blue, green, red, red-edge, and NIR. Past research on the red-edge has shown a strong correlation with chlorophyll content and N-status. Since the red-edge has not previously been offered commercially to cotton farmers, new red-edge based algorithms are being developed to spatially determine in-field nutrient variability. RapidEye's satellite constellation was launched in the Summer of 2008, and after testing and calibration, have been open for business since Spring 2009. RapidEye offers Ground Cover, Relative Chlorophyll, and Soil Brightness (bare soil) maps at 5 meter resolution.