BackForwardInstrument:  MSI (EgyptSat) 

Instrument details
Acronym MSI (EgyptSat)
Full name Multispectral imager
Purpose High-resolution land observation and disaster monitoring
Short description CCD-based imager with 1 panchromatic channel and a multispectral device . Channels details not yet available. Presumably follow-on of the instruments flown on EgyptSat-1: 2 VIS, 1 NIR, 1 SWIR
Background Replacing (with major upgradings) the MBEI and IREI imagers flown on EgyptSat-1
Scanning Technique Several operating modes available: along-track regular scanning of a narrow swath (figure not yet known), or steerable either along-track for in-orbit stereoscopy or cross-track for cross-orbits stereoscopy and strategic pointing within a Field-of-Regard of 1400 km
Resolution 1 m (panchromatic), 4 m (multispectral)
Coverage / Cycle Latitudinally limited by the orbital inclination (51.6°); cycle depending on the strategic pointing (minimum 2 days)
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NARSS
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2014 to 2024
Last update: 2021-06-17
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Earth observation instrument
  • Passive optical radiometer or spectrometer
  • High resolution optical imager
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 1
  • High-resolution multi-spectral VIS/IR imagers
  • High-resolution multi-spectral VIS/IR imager
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Biomass
  • Land cover
  • Leaf Area Index (LAI)
  • Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)
  • Vegetation type
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Biomass*4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Index only.. Infrequent coverage.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels. Biomass inferred from NDVI and LAI
Cloud cover5 - marginalInfrequent coverage.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Cloud optical depth3 - highLow-density cloud only.. Infrequent coverage.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Fire fractional cover2 - very highCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.VIS channels with high resolution for boundary detection
Fraction of vegetated land1 - primaryCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Glacier cover3 - highCloud sensitive.. Long time for mapping.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR, SWIR and panchromatic channels for accurate boundary detection and screening ice from clouds
Glacier topography4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Long time for mapping.. Daylight only.VIS and panchromatic channels with cross- and along-track steering capability for stereoscopy both in-orbit and between orbits
Ice sheet topography4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Long time for mapping.. Daylight only.VIS and panchromatic channels with cross- and along-track steering capability for stereoscopy both in-orbit and between orbits
Land cover*1 - primaryCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Land surface topography4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Long time for mapping.. Daylight only.VIS and panchromatic channels with cross- and along-track steering capability for stereoscopy both in-orbit and between orbits
Leaf Area Index (LAI)*2 - very highCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.. Infrequent coverage.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)*2 - very highCloud sensitive.. Infrequent coverage.VIS and NIR channels
Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)5 - marginalCloud sensitive.. Infrequent coverage.VIS channels, range undersampled
Short-wave cloud reflectance4 - fairInfrequent coverage.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels. Unsuitable dynamic range (saturation)
Snow cover1 - primaryCloud sensitive.. Infrequent coverage.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR, SWIR (snow/cloud discrimination) and panchromatic (higher resolution) channels
Soil moisture at surface5 - marginalCloud sensitive.. Index only.. Infrequent coverage.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels. Soil moisture inferred from differential brightness
Soil type1 - primaryCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Upward short-wave irradiance at TOA5 - marginalSpectral interpolation needed.. Information on BRDF needed.. Infrequent coverage.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Vegetation type*2 - very highCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Aerosol volcanic ash5 - marginalCloud sensitive.. Infrequent coverage.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Aerosol volcanic ash Total Column5 - marginalCloud sensitive.. Infrequent coverage.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR and SWIR channels
Sea-ice cover4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.VIS, NIR (for contour enhancement) and SWIR (for discrimination from clouds) channels