Environmental-observing satellites

Below are checklists of environmental-observing satellites, including launch dates and images of the satellites. This is a work in progress, and completeness is our goal. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the authors using the e-mail addresses at the bottom of this page.

Satellite series covered:

US Landsat / Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Landsat-1 / ERTS-1 (ERTS-A)	1972-07-23	Landsat / ERTS Landsat / ERTS Landsat-1/2/3 Landsat-3	Landsat / ERTS	Landsat / ERTS
Landsat-2 / ERTS-2 (ERTS-B)	1975-01-22
Landsat-3 (Landsat-C / ERTS-C)	1978-03-05
Landsat-4 (Landsat-D)	1982-07-16	Landsat-4 Landsat-4/5
Landsat-5 (Landsat-D1)	1984-03-01
Landsat-6 [failed]	1993-10-05	Landsat-6 Landsat-6
Landsat-7	1999-04-15	Landsat-7 Landsat-7
Landsat-8 / LDCM	2013-02-11	Landsat-8

French Satellite Probatoire de l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
SPOT-1 (SPOT-A)	1986-02-21	SPOT-1 SPOT-1 SPOT-1/2/3	SPOT	SPOT
SPOT-2 (SPOT-B)	1990-01-22
SPOT-3	1993-09-26
SPOT-4	1998-03-24	SPOT-4 SPOT-4 SPOT-4
SPOT-5	2002-05-03	SPOT-5
SPOT-6	2012-09-09	SPOT-6
SPOT-7	2014-?

Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
IRS-1A	1988-03-17	IRS IRS-1	IRS	IRS
IRS-1B	1991-08-29
IRS-1E / IRS-P1 [failed]	1993-09-20
IRS-P2	1994-10-15	IRS-P2
IRS-1C	1995-12-28	IRS-1C/D
IRS-P3	1996-03-21	IRS-P3
IRS-1D	1997-09-29	IRS-1C/D IRS-1D
IRS-P4 / OceanSat-1	1999-05-26	IRS-P4
IRS-P6 / ResourceSat-1	2003-10-17	IRS-P6
IRS-P5 / CartoSat-1	2005-05-05	IRS-P5
IRS-2 / CartoSat-2	2007-01-10	CartoSat-2
IRS-2A / CartoSat-2A	2008-04-28
IRS-P7 / OceanSat-2	2009-09-23	OceanSat-2
IRS-2B / CartoSat-2B	2010-07-12
IRS-P6 / ResourceSat-2	2011-04-20	ResourceSat-2

European Remote Sensing (ERS) satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
ERS-1	1991-07-16	ERS ERS ERS ERS-1 ERS-1	ERS	ERS
ERS-2	1995-04-20

Japanese Marine Observation Satellite (MOS) / Momo series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
MOS-1A / Momo-1	1987-02-19	MOS MOS MOS-1	MOS	MOS
MOS-1B / Momo-1B	1990-02-07	MOS-2

Japanese ADvanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) / Midori series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
ADEOS-1 / Midori / TOMS(-4?)	1996-08-17	ADEOS ADEOS ADEOS ADEOS ADEOS	ADEOS	ADEOS
ADEOS-2 / Argos-2+	2002-12-14

US Earth Observation System (EOS) satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
EOS-AM1 / EOS-Terra	1999-12-18	EOS-Terra (early-design) EOS-Terra	EOS	EOS
EOS-PM1 / EOS-Aqua	2002-05-04	EOS-Aqua EOS-Aqua
EOS-Aura (formerly EOS-Chem)	2004-07-15	EOS-Aura EOS-Aura

China (PR) Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) / ZY-1 series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
ZY-1A / CBERS-1	1999-10-14	ZY-1 ZY-1 (CBERS)	ZY-1 / CBERS	ZY-1 / CBERS
ZY-1B / CBERS-2	2003-10-21
ZY-1B2 / CBERS-2B	2007-09-19
ZY-1C / CBERS-3	2011-12-22	ZY-1C
ZY-1D / CBERS-4	2013-?

China (PR) Resource (CR) satellite / ZY-2 and ZY-3 series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
ZY-2A / China Resource-2A	2000-09-01	ZY-2	ZY-2 and ZY-3 / China Resource	ZY-2 and ZY-3 / China Resource
ZY-2B / China Resource-2B	2002-10-27
ZY-2C / China Resource-2C	2004-11-06
ZY-3A / China Resource-3A	2012-01-09	ZY-3
ZY-3B / China Resource-3B	201?-?

China (PR) Haiyang (HY) / Ocean series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
HY-1 / Ocean-1	2002-05-16	HY-1	HY-1
HY-1B / Ocean-1B	2007-04-11		HY-1B HY-1B HY-1B

China (PR) ShiYan (SY) / TanSuo (TS) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
SY-1 / TS-1	2004-04-18	SY-1	SY-1
SY-2 / TS-2	2004-11-18		SY-2 SY-2 (back)
SY-3 / TS-3	2008-11-05

China (PR) Remote Sensing Satellite (RSS) / Yaogan-series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
RSS-1 / Yaogan-1	2006-04-27	Yaogan-1/3/10
RSS-2 / Yaogan-2	2007-05-25	Yaogan-2/4/7	Yaogan-2
RSS-3 / Yaogan-3	2007-11-12	Yaogan-1/3/10	Yaogan-3 Yaogan-3
RSS-4 / Yaogan-4	2008-12-01	Yaogan-2/4/7
RSS-5 / Yaogan-5	2008-12-15	Yaogan-5
RSS-6 / Yaogan-6	2009-04-22	Yaogan-6
RSS-7 / Yaogan-7	2009-12-09	Yaogan-2/4/7
RSS-8 / Yaogan-8	2009-12-15	Yaogan-8	Yaogan-8
RSS-9A,B,C / Yaogan-9A,B,C	2010-03-05
RSS-10 / Yaogan-10	2010-08-10	Yaogan-1/3/10

Republic of China (Taiwan) SATellite (Rocsat) / FORMOsa SATellite (Formosat) / Chunghua series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Rocsat-1 / Formosat-1 / Chunghua-1	1999-01-26	Rocsat-1	Rocsat-1
Rocsat-2 / Formosat-2	2004-05-20	Rocsat-2	Rocsat-2 Rocsat-2
Rocsat-3 / Formosat-3 / COSMIC	2006-04-15	Rocsat-3
Rocsat-5 / Formosat-5	2013-?
Rocsat-6 / Formosat-6	2012-?
Rocsat-7 / Formosat-7 / COSMIC-2	2014-?

Israeli Earth Resources Observation Satellite (EROS) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
EROS-A / Ofeq-4 [failed]	1998-01-23		EROS	EROS
EROS-A1	2000-12-06	EROS-1
EROS-B	2006-04-25
EROS-C	2012-?	EROS-C

Argentine Satellite de Aplicaciones Cientifico (SAC) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
SAC-A [STS-88/Endeavour-deployed]	1998-12-04	SAC-A	SAC	SAC
SAC-B	1996-11-04	SAC-B
SAC-C	2000-11-21	SAC-C SAC-C
SAC-D / Aquarius / ESSP-6	2011-06-10	SAC-D

Canadian RADAR SATellite (Radarsat) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Radarsat-1	1995-11-04	Radarsat-1 Radarsat-1 Radarsat-1 Radarsat-1	Radarsat	Radarsat
Radarsat-2	2007-12-14	Radarsat-2

KOrean Multi-Purpose SATellite (Kompsat) / Arirang series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Kompsat-1 / Arirang-1	1999-12-21	Kompsat-1	Kompsat	Kompsat
Kompsat-2 / Arirang-2	2006-07-28	Kompsat-2

US / French Jason / Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Jason-1	2001-12-07	Jason-1	Jason	Jason
Jason-2 / OSTM	2008-06-20	Jason-2
Jason-3	2013-?

Italian COnstellation of small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation (COSMO-SkyMed) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
COSMO-1	2007-06-08	COSMO-SkyMed
COSMO-2	2007-12-09
COSMO-3	2008-10-25
COSMO-4	2010-11-06		COSMO-SkyMed COSMO-SkyMed

European Space Agency (ESA) CRYOgenic SATellite (CryoSat) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
CryoSat-1 [failed]	2005-10-08	CryoSat CryoSat-1	CryoSat	CryoSat
CryoSat-2	2010-04-08

NIGERIA SATellite (NigeriaSat) series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
NigeriaSat-1	2003-09-27	NigeriaSat-1
NigeriaSat-2	2011-08-17	NigeriaSat-2

French Pleiades series:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Pleiades-1A	2011-12-17	Pleiades-1	Pleiades-1A	Pleiades Pleiades Pleiades
Pleiades-1B	2012-12-03

A-Train environmental-observing satellites (except EOS):

Satellite	Country	Launch Date	Images
			reference	launch covers	other postal items
PARASOL	France	2004-12-18	PARASOL	PARASOL	PARASOL
CloudSat / ESSP-4	USA	2006-04-28	CloudSat CloudSat	CloudSat	CloudSat
CALIPSO / ESSP-3	France	2006-04-28	CALIPSO	CALIPSO	CALIPSO
OCO-1 / ESSP-5 [failed]	USA	2009-02-24	OCO OCO	OCO-1	OCO
Glory [failed]	USA	2011-03-04	Glory	Glory	Glory
OCO-2 / ESSP-5 [replacement]	USA	2014-?	OCO-2	OCO-2	OCO

Other (selected) US environmental-observing satellites:

Satellite	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
SeaSat-1 (SeaSat-A)	1978-06-27	SeaSat SeaSat	SeaSat	SeaSat
ERBS / SAGE-2 [STS-41G/Challenger-deployed]	1984-10-05	ERBS ERBS ERBS ERBS (with STS-41G/Challenger)	ERBS	ERBS
Geosat-1	1985-03-13	Geosat
UARS [STS-48/Discovery-deployed]	1991-09-12	UARS UARS UARS UARS (with STS-48/Discovery)	UARS	UARS
TOPEX-Poseidon	1992-08-10	TOPEX-Poseidon TOPEX-Poseidon TOPEX-Poseidon TOPEX-Poseidon TOPEX-Poseidon TOPEX-Poseidon (early-design)	TOPEX-Poseidon	TOPEX-Poseidon
TOMS-EP / TOMS(-3?)	1996-07-02	TOMS-EP TOMS-EP
TRMM	1997-11-28	TRMM TRMM TRMM TRMM	TRMM	TRMM
GFO	1998-02-10	GFO
QuikScat	1999-06-20	QuikScat QuikScat	QuikScat	QuikScat
MTI	2000-03-12	MTI
EO-1 / NMP	2000-11-21	EO-1 EO-1	EO-1 or EO-1
QuikTOMS / TOMS-5 [failed]	2001-09-21	QuikTOMS	QuikTOMS
Coriolis / WindSat	2003-01-06	Coriolis	Coriolis	Coriolis
ICESat	2003-01-12	ICESat ICESat	ICESat
Hydros / ESSP-7	Canceled	Hydros
VCL / ESSP-1	Canceled	VCL
SMAP	2015-?	SMAP SMAP

Other (selected) non-US environmental-observing satellites:

Satellite	Country	Launch Date	Images
			reference	launch covers	other postal items
JERS-1 / Fuyo-1	Japan	1992-02-11	JERS-1 JERS	JERS	JERS
Tsinghua-1	China (PR)	2000-06-28	Tsinghua-1
Envisat	Europe (ESA)	2002-03-01	Envisat Envisat Envisat Envisat-1 Envisat	Envisat	Envisat
Alsat-1	Algeria / Russia	2002-11-28	Alsat-1	Alsat	Alsat
Bilsat	Turkey	2003-09-27	Bilsat-1
Monitor-E	Russia	2005-08-26	Monitor-E		Monitor-E (GOES-13/14/15 image)
ALOS / Daichi	Japan	2006-01-24	ALOS
BelKa [failed]	Russia	2006-11-26	BelKa	BelKa BelKa
LAPAN-TUBsat	Indonesia / Germany	2007-01-10	LAPAN-TUBsat		LAPAN-TUBsat LAPAN-TUBsat LAPAN-TUBsat
EgyptSat-1	Egypt	2007-04-17	EgyptSat-1	EgyptSat-1 EgyptSat-1
TerraSAR-X	Germany	2007-06-15	TerraSAR-X	TerraSAR-X TerraSAR-X TerraSAR-X TerraSAR-X
HJ-1A, HJ-1B	China (PR)	2008-09-06	HJ-1A	HJ-1A+1B
RapidEye-1 (Tachys), RapidEye-2 (Mati), RapidEye-3 (Choma), RapidEye-4 (Choros), RapidEye-5 (Trochia)	Germany	2008-08-29	RapidEye	RapidEye
THEOS	Thailand	2008-10-01	THEOS		THEOS
GOSAT / Ibuki	Japan	2009-01-23	GOSAT
SMOS	Europe (ESA)	2009-11-02	SMOS	SMOS SMOS SMOS SMOS SMOS SMOS SMOS
TanDEM-X	Germany	2010-06-21	TanDEM-X	TanDEM-X
Rasat	Turkey	2011-08-17	Rasat		Rasat Rasat
GCOM-W / Shizuku	Japan	2012-05-17	GCOM-W
SARAL	India / France	2013-02-25	SARAL
PRSS	Pakistan	2014-?	PRSS		PRSS

US commercial environmental-observing satellites:

Satellite	Company	Launch Date	Images
			reference	launch covers	other postal items
EarlyBird-1 [failed]	Earth Watch Inc.	1997-12-24	EarlyBird
Ikonos-1 [failed]	Space Imaging Co.	1999-04-27	Ikonos
Ikonos-2	Space Imaging Co.	1999-09-24
QuickBird-1 [failed]	DigitalGlobe Inc.	2000-11-20		QuickBird	QuickBird
QuickBird-2	DigitalGlobe Inc.	2001-10-18	QuickBird-2
OrbView-1	Orbital Imaging Corp.	1995-04-03	OrbView-1	OrbView	OrbView
OrbView-2 / SeaStar / SeaWiFS	Orbital Imaging Corp.	1997-08-01	OrbView-2 OrbView-2	SeaWiFS	SeaWiFS
OrbView-3	Orbital Imaging Corp.	2003-06-26	OrbView-3	OrbView	OrbView
OrbView-4 [failed]	Orbital Imaging Corp.	2001-09-21	OrbView-4
GeoEye-1 (formerly OrbView-5)	GeoEye Inc.	2008-09-06	GeoEye-1	GeoEye	GeoEye
GeoEye-2	GeoEye Inc.	2017-?	GeoEye-2
WorldView-1	Satellite Imaging Corp.	2007-09-18	WorldView-1	WorldView	WorldView
WorldView-2	Satellite Imaging Corp.	2009-10-08	WorldView-2

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