The satellites SPOT 1, 2 and 3 (Satellite Probatoire de l'Observation de la Terre) were the first generation of SPOT earth observation satellites operated by Spot Image.
The first generation SPOT satellites were built on the SPOT Mk.1 bus with a lifetime of three years.
The SPOT satellites were identical, with each carrying two identical HRV (High Resolution Visible) imaging instruments that were able to operate in two modes, either simultaneously or individually. The two spectral modes are panchromatic and multispectral. The panchromatic band had a resolution of 10 meters, and the three multispectral bands (G,R,NIR) have resolutions of 20 meters.
SPOT 3 was orbited on 26 September 1993 on an Ariane-40 H10 rocket. It ended operations in November 1996 due to problems with its stabilization system.
Instruments: 2 HRVs
- 4 spectral bands (1 panchromatic, 3 multispectral)
- imaging swath: 60km x 60km to 80km
