Sensor · Spaceborne

Operational Linescan System

Missions → DMSP-F18 (Extended operations)

DMSP visible and infrared wide-swath imaging sensor used for cloud cover and low-light/nighttime observations.

Sensor

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]

Operator pricing

Pricing not publicly listed by operator

Supply chain position

carried by DMSP-F18

Methods this sensor implements

Demonstrated

Nightlights radiometryvia DMSP-F18
OLS low-light visible observations on DMSP-F18 support nightlights radiometry; WMO/NOAA identify OLS as active on F18.

Capable, undemonstrated

None on record.

Topics this relates to

Economic activity intelligence Nightlights radiometry(demonstrated)well suited

Sources

[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

Cite https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/ols Markdown twin → Field definitions → Suggest a correction →

How to cite this page

Plain text

Operational Linescan System. EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V. https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/ols (CC BY 4.0)

BibTeX

@misc{eoatlas:products:sensor:ols,
  title = {Operational Linescan System},
  author = {{EO-Atlas}},
  publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
  url = {https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/ols}
}