The international Earth remote sensing project Priroda: environmental monitoring in Italy by the optical sensors

In the field of the scientific co-operation between the authors' two Institutes, started in 1986, a common research program was developed for the analysis of the characteristics and the application of advanced spaceborne optical sensors for remote sensing of the Earth. This program has become a part of the international scientific project Priroda, which combines efforts of scientists from Bulgaria, Czekhia and Slovakia, France, Germany, Independent States Community, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and USA. The space module Priroda is the technical base for the project. It will be launched and attached to the inhabited space platform MIR at the end of 1995. By means of the optical sensors placed on board of the Priroda module, the authors are going to study the geophysical parameters useful for environmental monitoring and resources evaluation in Italy. Taking into account the characteristics of different sensors and utilising both experimental data available now and coming from similar sensors placed on aircraft or spacecraft and suitable models, they are estimating the possible applications of such new sensors over some test sites in the Tuscany region.