EO·Atlas
Operational Linescan System
Compiled from public sources on 2026-06-16. Not independently verified by United States Air Force.
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DMSP visible and infrared wide-swath imaging sensor used for cloud cover and low-light/nighttime observations.
Operational Linescan System (OLS) is a passive visible and infrared whiskbroom imager on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft, used for global cloud, cloud-top-temperature, and low-light nighttime observations.[1][2] The instrument collects global imagery across an approximately 3000 km swath twice per day.[1] Its visible, infrared, and photomultiplier-tube sensitivity paths support daytime cloud imaging, thermal infrared sensing, and faint nighttime VNIR emission detection.[1] OLS low-light visible observations underpin the long-running DMSP nighttime-lights composites.[1][3] For night-lights time series, satellite-era gain and calibration differences matter: stable-light products depend on intercalibration because visible pixels are relative digital values and operational gain changes affect radiance consistency.[1][3]
Compositional position
- Nightlights radiometryvia DMSP-F18
OLS low-light visible observations on DMSP-F18 support nightlights radiometry; WMO/NOAA identify OLS as active on F18.
None on record.
- [1]DMSP Operational Linescan System, NOAA NCEIagency doc2026-06-16
- [2]Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, NOAA NCEIagency doc2026-06-16
- [3]DMSP Nighttime Lights, Earth Observation Groupcommunity2026-06-16
- [4]WMO OSCAR satellite record: DMSP-F18agency doc2026-06-16