INPE Portal de Dados Geoespaciais Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais

History and Background

The Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) is Brazil's national space research agency, created by presidential decree on April 22, 1971, with roots in the Organizing Group for the National Commission on Space Activities (COGNAE), established by President Jânio Quadros in 1961. INPE's headquarters are located in São José dos Campos, São Paulo state, with facilities in twelve other Brazilian cities. The institute operates as a research unit of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, conducting research in space and atmospheric sciences, remote sensing, earth observation, and meteorology.

The Geospatial Data Portal

INPE's Geospatial Data Portal (Portal de Dados Geoespaciais), accessible at data.inpe.br, is the institute's open platform for distributing satellite imagery, remote sensing data, and geospatial datasets to the public and scientific community. The portal provides access to data from Brazilian and international Earth observation missions.

Collections and Holdings

Key datasets available include imagery from the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellites (CBERS series), the Amazonia-1 satellite, LANDSAT data received by INPE's ground stations, and meteorological data from platforms such as NOAA, METOP, and TERRA/AQUA satellites. INPE is internationally known for its DETER and PRODES systems for near-real-time monitoring of deforestation and land-use change in the Amazon and other Brazilian biomes. These monitoring products are also available through the geospatial portal.

Access and Usage

The portal provides open, free access to satellite imagery catalogues and geospatial datasets. Data downloads do not require registration for most products. The portal supports researchers, environmental agencies, journalists, policy-makers, and the public in accessing authoritative Brazilian remote sensing data.