OVERVIEW: A satellite-based IR (Infrared) camera is a spaceborne imaging sensor designed to detect and record thermal radiation emitted by objects on Earth or in space. These cameras enable continuous, high-altitude thermal surveillance for military, environmental, meteorological, and strategic intelligence purposes.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Satellite Infrared Cameras (2nd generation) were deployed from the mid-1980s to early 2000s on strategic reconnaissance and early warning satellites. These sensors featured dual-band IR detection (MWIR and LWIR), significantly improved resolution, and onboard processing for event detection (e.g., missile launches, wildfires). Deployed primarily in geosynchronous and low Earth orbits, they provided continuous wide-area surveillance with better discrimination of targets compared to earlier systems.

ROLE SUMMARY:
Category: Infrared Surveillance / Strategic Early Warning
Primary Use: Missile launch detection, intelligence collection, natural disaster monitoring
Function: Passive thermal imaging and event cueing
Platform: Geostationary and polar-orbit reconnaissance satellites

See Specific information under [Sensors/EW] and [Properties] sections.

SOURCE:
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Declassified Programs
NASA EO-1 and Landsat Archives