Formosat-2

Long name	Formosat
Short name	FMST
Sensor type	Electro-optical
Platform	Formosat-2
Key file name (use to open dataset)	Metadata.dim or FS2_*.dim
Supported file name extensions	.tif, .jpg
Sections	Data product name and description Distribution disk files Returned data for supported format References

Data product name and description

FORMOSAT-2 is an Earth-observation satellite operated by the National Space Organization (NSPO) of Taiwan at a mean altitude of 888 kilometers. The satellite provides high-resolution 2 meter panchromatic (PAN) and 8 meter multispectral (MS) imagery with a swath of 24 kilometers.

Note: The information provided herein is based on the data distributor's documentation cited under References.

Spectral bands: Spectral range (nm)	Spatial resolution (m)* (spectral resolution)	Maximum image dimensions (Across track x along track, km)	Notes
PAN 450 - 900	2.0	2.0 x 2.0 (12-bit)	Detector: CCD (TH 7834, 12,000 pixels) Integration time: 0.308 milliseconds Processing rate: 10 megapixels per second Data compression ratio: 2.8 and 3.75
MS 450 - 520 (Blue) 520 - 600 (Green) 630 - 690 (Red) 760 - 900 (NIR)	8.0	2.0 x 2.0 (12-bit)	Detector: CCD quad-linear (THX 31547, 3,000 pixels) Integration time: 1.232 milliseconds Processing rate: 5 megapixels per second Data compression ratio: 1.7 and 3.75

* Resolution is always nadir position unless noted otherwise.

Formosat-2 data is available in the following three processing levels:

Level 0
Level 1A
Level 2

Processing level	Horizontal accuracy (m)	Description/notes
L0		Raw data.
L1A		Radiometrically and sensor corrected. The radiometric model is based on the linear model of gain and offset used globally.
L2		Generated through geometric correction and map projection. The geometric model is based on a polynomial of 3 degrees to express the pixel field of view as a function of the pixel number.

Distribution disk files

A Formosat-2 data set is organized in a specific folder structure on disk. GDB uses this folder structure and the file names to identify the data product type.

Warning: To ensure the image data and auxiliary information are imported correctly, do not alter the folder structure or any file names prior to data ingestion.

You can open a Formosat-2 data set by selecting the Metadata.dim or FS2_*.dim file.

When opening a Formosat-2 data set, the files read by GDB are as described in the following table.

File name	Format	Required	Contents/details
Metadata.dim or FS2_*.dim	DIM	Yes	Key file name. Contains data-set metadata.
Imagery.tif or FS2_*.tif	GeoTIFF	Yes	Image data.
Preview.jpg or *_cds.jpg	Joint Photographic Experts Group	Optional	Thumbnail file.
*_qls.jpg	Joint Photographic Experts Group	Optional	Overview file.

Returned data for supported format

Formosat-2 data can be opened directly in its raw vendor format or imported into a PCIDSK (*.pix) file using the key file name (Metadata.dim or FS2_*.dim). For optimal processing, use the PCIDSK format.

The following table describes the data structure after it is opened by GDB.

Data product	Data returned	Details
L1A (PAN)	1 x [8U] Raster channel 1 x [TEX] Product annotation 1 x [ORB] Orbit segment	N/A
L1A (MS)	4 x [8U] Raster channels 1 x [TEX] Product annotation 1 x [ORB] Orbit segment	N/A
L2 (PAN)	1 x [8U] Raster channel 1 x [TEX] Product annotation 1 x [ORB] Orbit segment	N/A
L2 (MS)	4 x [8U] Raster channels 1 x [TEX] Product annotation 1 x [ORB] Orbit segment	N/A

References

For more information, visit: nspo.org