Satellites operating in hundreds of kilometers of high-altitude orbit can distinguish the types of trees on the ground and can judge the quality of rice in the fields. The high-performance satellite sensors that Japan plans to develop can give satellites such "insight".

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to develop high-performance satellite sensors. This sensor analyzes small differences in the color of plant leaves that are indistinguishable to the naked eye.

  The new sensor will operate with the satellite in orbit about 500 km from the ground. It divides the surface of the earth into 15-meter squares and observes them one by one. For different types of trees in the area, the images captured by the sensor will be displayed in different colors. The sensor can even discern the ratio of protein in trees and rice, which is an indicator of tree growth and rice quality. In addition, the sensor can distinguish the water quality of seawater and the distribution of mineral resources.

The development cost of the new satellite sensor reached 8.5 billion yen (about US$69 million) and was contracted and developed by Japan Electric Corporation.