LANDSAT vehicles carry two optical sensors of interest: 

 a return-beam TV camera and a multispectral scanner (MSS) operating in 



the visible and near-infrared positions of the spectrum. The field-of- 



2 

 view of each of these is about 115 miles ; the resolution would appear 



to be several hundred feet for high-contrast "targets." The orbits of 

 the two vehicles presently active are sun-synchronous, and each satellite 

 can survey essentially the entire earth every 18 days; their relative 

 phasing allows coverage of any given point at 9-day intervals. To com- 

 pletely survey the CONUS-CZ would require about 9,000 images; Alaska-CZ 

 coverage would add 5,000. Since the orbit planes are not optimized for 

 U.S. coastal coverage, several days, and perhaps weeks, would be needed 

 to cover all areas of interest; the average response time to a request 

 for specific area coverage would be about 5 days. 



These delays, considered in conjunction with the fairly 

 low resolution provided and the limitations on surface access imposed 

 by cloud and fog cover, render the satellite marginally useful in a fish- 

 ing zone policing system. 



The LANDSAT MSS (and a similar sensor to be included 

 aboard SEASAT) can, however, provide useful information on the location 

 and distribution of surface plankton flows. These, in turn, indicate the 

 regions of commercial fishing activity (these data have been used to 

 guide commercial fishing fleets), thereby narrowing the areas of sig- 

 nificant interest to high-resolution, airborne reconnaissance sensors. 



(2) Airborne Sensors 



Photographic Sensors --Both high-altitude (wide area) 

 and low-altitude reconnaissance can be performed with relatively inexpen- 

 sive, highly developed camera systems used by the military and by civilian 

 geodesic interests. 



74 



