Thematic applications of German MOMS-2P images from the MIR space station

More and more useful spectral information has been supplied to geoscientists from sophisticated space sensors with increasing detecting ability. Because the quality of spectral information depends on its sensor characteristics, sensor development is the key to remote sensing techniques. As an Earth observation space sensor the German MOMS-2P (Modular Optoelectronic Multispectral Stereo Scanner) was launched May 1996 aboard the PRIRODA Module docked on the Russian MIR Space Station in a preoperational mission of about three years duration. The optimized MOMS spectral bands are superior to the similar bands of other sensors such as SPOT and IRS-1C. Since March 1998 at request of users, the MOMS-2P records data for one or two orbits daily. These data can be broadly used for a variety of geoscientific purposes. This paper discusses the sensor features and thematic applications of the advanced MOMS-2P images