Spaceborne photography

• KVR-1000 imagery
• Space mapping system Kometa
• Cameras
• Photography
• Mapping capabilities

KVR-1000 imagery

• The KVR-1000 images are high resolution spaceborne images digitized from film negatives. They are produced by Sovinformsputnik, a Russian company, and delivered for end users as orthophotographs. The standard ground resolution of scanned KVR-1000 images is 2 m. The images are rectified on a digital elevation model based on TK-350 images.

An extract from KVR-1000 image of  Petra, Jordan. The digitized ground resolution here is 1.5 m. The scene covers an area of 840 m x 700 m.

Space mapping system Kometa

• The Space Mapping System "KOMETA" composed of the topographic camera TK-350 and the high resolution camera KVR-1000, integrated with on-board equipment for external orientation elements determination, is designed to provide large scale topographic and digital maps. On-board equipment includes two star positioning cameras, a laser altimeter, navigation sensors and synchronizing devices. In order to obtain synchronized operation, and to provide the required accuracy, all the hardware is integrated into the common system based on constructional, accuracy and timing parameters. The system allows topographic, digital, and thematic maps to be produced for any area of the Earth. Due to the optical design features and large swath capabilities of the camera systems, highly accurate and detailed imagery can be created for specific regions or for entire countries as well.'
• The satellite operates in near-circular orbit at an average altitude of 220 kilometers and has an orbital duration of 45 days. The total film capacity covers approximately 10.5 million square kilometers of land area. The entire system is then retrieved from orbit and landed at the preliminary defined location. The film is then retrieved from the descending module, processed, converted into digital form using a precise scanners, and ortho-rectified. The digital products are delivered to customers on CD-ROM in required format.

Cameras

Photography

• TK-350 was developed to provide accurate surface elevation data. It produces panchromatic stereo imagery with 60% and 80% longitudinal overlap between frames. Images obtained by this camera have ground resolution of 10 m at a typical scale of 1:660 000. Film format is 30 by 45 cm, which encompasses a single image covering 200 by 300 km. TK-350 images can be enlarged to 1:50 000 scale without a significant loss of quality.
• KVR-1000 provides 2 m resolution panchromatic imagery at an average scale of 1:220 000. Film format for this camera is 18 by 18 cm, capturing a single frame of 40 by 40 km. KVR-1000 images can be enlarged to a 1:10 000 scale without loss of detail.
• Joint use of photomaterials provided by TK-350 and KVR-1000 (including the calibration and navigation parameters registered at the moment of shooting) let one perform photogrammetric processing and create topographic and photomaps of 1:50 000 scale and smaller. It is possible to produce maps practically of any region of the Earth surface, including those where no other control geodetic network is available.

Mapping capabilities