Free imagery

  • Land Viewer is a satellite observation imagery tool that allows for on-the-fly searching, processing, and getting valuable insights from satellite data to tackle real business issues.
  • GeoNetwork opensource is a Free and Open Source catalog application to manage spatially referenced resources. It provides powerfull metadata editing and search functions as well as an embedded interactive web map viewer.
  • UNOSAT provides the humanitarian and development communities with updated and accurate geographic information and access to satellite imagery. The purpose of UNOSAT is then to encourage, facilitate, accelerate and expand the use of accurate geographic information derived from EO-satellite imagery by professionals involved in achieving vulnerability reduction, crisis management and recovery as well as sustainable development at the local level.
  • Blue Marble: Next Genetation – In celebration of the deployment of its Earth Observing System, NASA is pleased to share the newest in its series of stunning Earth images, affectionately named the “Blue Marble.” This new Earth imagery enhances the Blue Marble legacy by providing a detailed look at an entire year in the life of our planet. In sharing these Blue Marble images, NASA hopes the public will join with the agency in its continuing exploration of our world from the unique perspective of space.
  • GeoGratis is a portal provided by the Earth Sciences Sector (ESS) of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) which provides geospatial data at no cost and without restrictions via your Web browser.
  • The MODIS Rapid Response System was developed to provide daily satellite images of the Earth’s landmasses in near real time. True-colour, photo-like imagery and false-color imagery are available within a few hours of being collected, making the system a valuable resource for organizations like the U.S. Forest Service and the international fire monitoring community, who use the images to track fires; the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service, who monitors crops and growing conditions; and the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Air Force Weather Agency, who track dust and ash in the atmosphere. The science community also uses the system in projects like the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), which studies particles like smoke, pollution, or dust in the atmosphere. More information about science and application partners, including links, is provided on our applications page. Captioned interpreted images for educators, the media, and the public are available through the Earth Observatory. The system is freely available everyone–scientists, operational users, educators, and the general public.
  • The National Map Viewer and Download Platform iallows visualization and download of our most current topographic base map data and products for free. Managed by the USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP), users can access data from all eight primary data themes of The National Map, and products, such as US Topo, Historical Topographic Maps, and Map Indices. Available downloadable data themes are: Elevation, Orthoimagery, Land Cover, Hydrography, Geographic Names, Boundaries, Transportation, Structures, while maps include: US Topo and Historical Topo.
  • Sally Ride EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) is a NASA educational outreach program that enables students, teachers, and the public to learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space. During Sally Ride EarthKAM missions (periods when the Sally Ride EarthKAM camera is operational), middle school students around the world request images of specific locations on Earth. The entire collection of Sally Ride EarthKAM images is available in a searchable Sally Ride EarthKAM image archive. This image collection and accompanying activities are extraordinary resources to engage students in Earth and space science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications, and art.
  • USGS-EROS; The Earth Resource and Observation Science Centre of the U.S. Geological Service offers a wealth of Aerial and Satellite Imagery. Most of this information is oriented on North America:
  • TerraServer has assembled the largest variety of aerial photos, satellite images and USGS topo maps on the Internet. Users can search and view all of their online imagery and then purchase a digital image download or a high quality print.
  • Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) is a component of NASAs Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Information System (EOSDIS). LP DAAC processes, archives, and distributes land data and products derived from the EOS sensors. Located just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the LP DAAC handles data from three EOS instruments aboard two operational satellite platforms: ASTER and MODIS from Terra, and MODIS from Aqua. ASTER data are received, processed, distributed, and archived while MODIS land products are received, distributed, and archived. Both data sets are vital contributors to the inter-disciplinary study of the integrated Earth system.
  • The Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) provides earth science data and products to help everyone to better understand global environmental systems. In particular, the GLCF develops and distributes remotely sensed satellite data and products that explain land cover from the local to global scales. Primary data and products available at the GLCF are free to anyone via FTP. Online datasets may be accessed electronically through the Earth Science Data Interface (ESDI).
  • The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a Department of Defence combat support agency and a member of the national Intelligence Community (IC). NGA develops imagery and map-based intelligence solutions for U.S. national defence, homeland security and safety of navigation. NGA provides timely, relevant and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of national security objectives. The term “geospatial intelligence” means the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. Geospatial intelligence consists of imagery, imagery intelligence and geospatial (e.g., mapping, charting and geodesy) information. Information collected and processed by NGA is tailored for customer-specific solutions. By giving customers ready access to geospatial intelligence, NGA provides support to civilian and military leaders and contributes to the state of readiness of U.S. military forces. NGA also contributes to humanitarian efforts, such as tracking floods and disaster support, and to peacekeeping.
  • The Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS) is an electronic library of NOAA environmental data. This web site provides capabilities for finding and obtaining those data. CLASS is NOAA’s premier on-line facility for the distribution of NOAA and US Department of Defence (DoD) Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) data, NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) data, and derived data.
  • The VGT4AFRICA project aims at setting up an operational and timely distribution system of VEGETATION data from the SPOT satellites and high level derived products to all African countries. The goal is to set up, in the framework of GMES, an operational capacity based on the SPOT VEGETATION system in support to sustainable development policies in Africa.
  • Dundee Satellite Receiving Station, Dundee University, UK, maintains an up-to-date archive of images from NOAA, SeaStar, Terra and Aqua polar orbiting satellites. Images from geostationary satellites covering the whole earth are also available. To view the images you must register. Registration is free and the images are free.
  • Landsat.org supports the purchasing, distribution, and sharing of Landsat TM (Landsat 4 and 5) and ETM+ (Landsat 7) imagery worldwide by providing a simplified, platform-independent user interface and search engine with online data ordering. Landsat.org supports research centers, science teams, and educational organizations by providing customized search interfaces, access to data hosting services, clearinghouse services, data brokering, and imagery cooperatives.
  • The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is an information system designed to identify problems in the food supply system that potentially lead to famine or other food-insecure conditions in sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, Central America, and Haiti. FEWS NET is a multi-disciplinary project that collects, analyzes, and distributes regional, national, and sub-national information to decision makers about potential or current famine or other climate hazard-, or socio-economic-related situations, allowing them to authorize timely measures to prevent food-insecure conditions in these nations. Regions and countries with FEWS NET representatives include sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, (southern) Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua), Afghanistan, and Haiti.
  • The Asia Pacific Natural Hazards Information Network (APNHIN), hosted by the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), directly supports disaster and resource managers, planners, governments, and nongovernmental organizations with a suite of applications and information services designed to search for, evaluate, and access high-quality geospatial data for natural hazard applications within the Asia Pacific region. APNHIN comprises a community of organizations who create and share disaster and hazards-related information.
  • The GeoCommunity houses data in support of the GIS industry. The majority of the data provided has been downloaded by their staff from a wide range of GIS Web sites located on the Internet. There is also value added data where they have performed some translation, attribution, analysis, or other data enhancing operations. By providing all of these resources from one convenient location, GeoCommunity has made every effort to ensure that you can locate the data users are searching for in a quick and efficient manner.
  • EOS-WEBSTER provides free, customized Earth Science data. Data holdings can be searched spatially, temporally, or by keyword, freetext, or collection name. They have distributed almost 700,000 data products to our users world-wide since 1999.
  • EuDASM is the European Union Digital Archive on Soil Maps of the World.
  • ERDAS Image Web Server is a high-speed, specialized application that efficiently distributes massive amounts of geospatial imagery to thousands of users, all on a single server. Solving the infrastructure congestion problems traditionally associated with deploying large amounts of image data, users quickly access the information they need. With ERDAS Image Web Server, individuals may access imagery using CAD, GIS, mobile, web and desktop applications.
  • The objective of this Geosuccess (Global Earth Observation in Support of Climate Change and Environmental Security Studies) website is to demonstrate a variety of operational products based on remote sensing data, which give timely information on the evolution of the vegetation cover and its related parameters. Some of these products are calculated in near real time, at the global or regional scale.