CHOOSING BETWEEN AERIAL & SATELLITE IMAGERY

FYI, From Aerometrix Website, see link for full story. In summary, aerial is much better quality.

https://aerometrex.com.au/resources/blog/key-factors-consider-when-choosing-between-aerial-satellite-imagery/

KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING BETWEEN AERIAL & SATELLITE IMAGERY

Aerial Imagery and Satellite imagery both offer users a view of the ground and its features, objects from above. They can both be used for a range of applications wherein geospatial data is required. While both technologies can produce digital imagery, aerial imagery is largely used across commercial applications, and satellite imagery for large-scale scientific applications.

The gap however between these two usually complementary mapping technologies is getting smaller as both satellite and aerial imaging systems have benefited from great technological improvements over the years. These technologies can even overlap in terms of resolution, meaning that other factors such as accuracy, acquisition and processing time need to be considered.

It is important to make an informed decision about which technology to choose for a project requiring spatial data after considering all aspects of your requirement. Both aerial imagery as well as satellite imagery possess unique characteristics and strengths which are highlighted in this article. Without going into the detail of specific sensors, we present some of the main parameters to consider when making a choice between high resolution satellite or aerial imagery. These parameters are:

• Resolution
• Data type
• Weather
• Location accuracy
• Location accessibility
• Speed and coverage
• Cost