Instrumentation for remote sensing from space

The design options available for satellite-based remote sensing are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the process of fitting the instrumental capabilities to the scientific goals of a particular program, to the payload capacity of the launch vehicle, and to the operational envelope of the satellite. Various materials and instrument configurations are inventoried for imaging systems for, e.g., detecting and mapping particles, X-rays, visible and IR radiation. Numerous examples of instruments on Voyager, Mariner and Landsat satellites are cited, along with the discoveries which they permitted.