EO·Atlas
MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)
Whiskbroom multispectral scanning spectroradiometer, 36 discrete bands from 405 to 14385 nm (visible through thermal infrared), daily global coverage at 250/500/1000 m GSD per band group. Two flight units: MODIS-Terra (launched December 1999, orbit drifted to about 9:06 AM equatorial crossing as of December 2025, power-constrained) and MODIS-Aqua (launched May 2002, in free-drift since December 2021, passivation scheduled Fall 2026; MODIS itself remains operational on both spacecraft). Built by Raytheon SBRS (formerly Hughes SBRS / Santa Barbara Research Center) under NASA contract, with NASA GSFC holding science leadership. Foundational input to global vegetation time-series and deforestation monitoring (MOD13Q1 NDVI/EVI, MCD64A1 burned area, MOD14 active fire).
MODIS is a NASA whiskbroom multispectral scanning spectroradiometer flown on Terra and Aqua, with 36 spectral bands from 405 to 14385 nm and daily global coverage at 250 m, 500 m, and 1000 m band groups.[1] The instrument is a 12-bit system with a 2330 km swath and an optical design built around a scan mirror, telescope, and focal-plane assemblies for visible through thermal infrared measurements.[2][1] MODIS data products include vegetation indices, thermal anomalies and fire products, land-surface temperature and emissivity, and ocean colour products.[3][4] Aqua mission status pages identify MODIS as an Aqua instrument and maintain mission-status reporting for that spacecraft.[5]
| Methodology | Evidence | Mission | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetation-index mapping | Demonstrated | Terra | [4] |
| Thermal-anomaly detection | Demonstrated | Terra | [3] |
| LST and emissivity retrieval | Demonstrated | Terra | [3] |
| Ocean-colour water-leaving radiance | Demonstrated | Aqua | [3] |
Pricing not publicly listed by operator
Supply chain position
- Vegetation index mapping
- Ocean colour / water-leaving radiance
- Optical sun-glint surface imagingvia Aqua
MODIS imagery has published NASA sunglint examples where wave and roughness patterns are visible in reflected sunlight.
- Sea-surface temperature retrievalvia Aqua
MODIS has a documented thermal-infrared SST retrieval.
- Land-surface temperature - emissivity retrievalvia Terra
MODIS MOD21 retrieves LST and emissivity from thermal infrared bands 29, 31, and 32 at 1 km nadir resolution.
- Thermal anomaly detectionvia Terra
MODIS thermal bands underpin operational regional thermal anomaly/fire screening, but 1 km pixels are marginal for building-scale thermal performance.
None on record.
- [1]MODIS Technical Specifications, NASA GSFCagency doc2026-05-25
- [2]MODIS Instrument Design, NASA GSFCagency doc2026-05-25
- [3]MODIS Data Products, NASA GSFCagency doc2026-05-25
- [4]Aqua Project Science mission status, NASA GSFCagency doc2026-05-25
- [5]MODIS Vegetation Index Products, NASA GSFCagency doc2026-05-25
How to cite this page
Plain text
MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V., last reviewed 2026-05-25. https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/modis (CC BY 4.0)
BibTeX
@misc{eoatlas:products:sensor:modis,
title = {MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)},
author = {{EO-Atlas}},
publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
year = {2026},
note = {Last reviewed 2026-05-25. CC BY 4.0},
url = {https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/modis}
}