Instructions for visualizing upcoming collection frames from Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8,9.

The full images from Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8/9 data are available on the Sentinel-hub browser as well as the Copernicus browser. You can track the paths of these satellites on Spectator Earth.

Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2

The European Space Agency (ESA) shares the upcoming schedule of where Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites will be collecting data/imagery. The ability to see where satellites will be collecting imagery can be especially helpful patrol planning and execution (knowing when and where you may have vessel detections, and where you will not).

These swaths/areas where imagery will be captured (ESA calls these "acquisitions”) are available up to 3 weeks into the future.

The data is available as .kml files.

To get started

You will need to download Google Earth Pro desktop app or similar geospatial analysis tools (e.g., QGIS) to visualize the .kml files.

Download the most recent schedule from the Sentinel-1 site available here. For Sentinel-1, there is only one satellite: Sentinel-1A. 

Download the most recent schedules from both Sentinel-2 satellites (Sentinel-2A, Sentinel-2B) on the Sentinel-2 site available here. For Sentinel-2, there are two satellites.

Open the files in the Google Earth app.

Open the downloaded .kml files in Google Earth Pro.

Using the files

The scheduled collections will appear as rectangular swath on the map. The opened files in Google Earth will show under Places in the left margin. 

For Sentinel-1, Skylight only processes the IW mode (red rectangles). Skylight does not process the EW mode (bright green rectangles) or the SM mode (smaller black rectangles).

 The same collection area on different days throughout the three week period will overlap one another. Therefore, it's important to view collections day by day.

For the time slider, the video below demonstrates how to view collections day by day. Start by advancing the left handle of the time slider to the right to narrow the range to a few days or less. You can then use the right handle to move the time range window back and forth.

Landsat 8,9

Landsat 8,9 collections are available to visualize on the USGS Landsat website. Link here: https://landsat.usgs.gov/landsat_acq.

The collection frames are available a few days in the future.

To use the tool, first select the satellite (e.g., Landsat 9) and then the date. To view the path of the other satellite for the same day, you need to select the satellite and then click the date to reload the map.