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Carl Churchill

The Wall Street Journal

Graphics Reporter

carl.churchill@wsj.com

Where to get satellite images

without coding, money or a degree

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Most satellite data is free*, open*, and global*

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Source: European Space Agency

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Basic satellite programs for true-color RGB imagery:

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European Space Agency

  • Sentinel Program (2 and 3)

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NASA

  • Landsat (7,8 and 9)
  • MODIS (Terra and Aqua)

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Google Earth?

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Google Earth

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  • Higher res than free data
  • No control over style, some date control
  • Cannot download
  • Free to use with attribution
  • Premade mosaic, not imagery itself

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Resolution

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You need less than you think

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Location: Bahia, near the Sobradinho Reservoir, Brazil

Skysat

Sentinel-2

Commercial

Landsat-8

MODIS Terra

Free

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Good sources for free satellite imagery

Source

Requirements

Imagery available

Provider

Copernicus Browser

Free account (for advanced features)

Sentinel

ESA

NASA Worldview

none

Sentinel, Landsat, MODIS, GOES, Himawari, (many others)

NASA

GloViz

Free account

Landsat

USGS

Google Earth

none

Mix of sources (mostly airbus)

varies

(As of January 2025)

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Live Demo

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We are investigating industrial activity in West Africa on the Senegalese and Malian border

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  1. Find a Sentinel-2 image from CO (Copernicus) Browser
  2. Download image as picture and/or as data

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Link: https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/

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