What we refer to as “standard” multispectral data can already see plenty, in the visible and near-visible spectrum. The visual range (red, green, and blue) is obviously represented, as are the near-infrared and thermal ranges. But we’ve already written about those. In this one, we’ll be focusing on short-wave infrared, or SWIR for short.
Why SWIR? Because as of last year, Vantor (formerly Maxar) is now our official partner. And their WorldView-3 satellite is, as of 2026, the best commercially available SWIR satellite out there.
WorldView-3 imagery is available through UP42, for both archive and tasking. Check it out via the button below or stick with us to see how you can use it.
On a side note: Vantor's WorldView-3 collected the cover image for this blog post. The image shows Altadena, California, burning during the Eaton Fire in January 2025. The bright red areas indicate where fire was burning at the time of the image.
What is short-wave infrared (SWIR)?
Short-wave infrared sits between near-infrared and thermal infrared on the electromagnetic spectrum (1.4 to 3.0 μm, in case you’re curious).
Near-infrared detects reflected light, while thermal infrared detects emitted heat. As the midpoint of these two ranges, SWIR is extremely sensitive to the molecular composition of objects, including their water levels.
Visible light reflects off the surface of objects. SWIR’s slightly longer wavelengths are instead absorbed or reflected by an object’s chemical bonds. So, like many forms of remote sensing, it can tell us tons of information about things that we can’t see with our own eyes.
More on that soon. But now, back to Vantor and WorldView-3.
Why is WorldView-3 the best at short-wave infrared?
WorldView-3 excels at short-wave infrared for two main reasons.
First of all, its SWIR sensor captures data at a resolution of 3.7 m, meaning each individual pixel in the image represents a ground distance of about 3.7 meters. This is higher than any other SWIR satellite out there. ESA’s Sentinel-2, for example, captures SWIR data at a resolution of 20 m (though, to be fair, we should point out that Sentinel-2 data is free).
WorldView-3 also boasts up to 30 cm resolution through its other sensors, so you can improve the SWIR resolution through pansharpening.
And second: WorldView-3 slices the SWIR range into eight different bands. Most SWIR satellites only contain one or two bands. So while any SWIR sensor can easily tell you if something is human-made, WorldView-3 can get even more specific: it can differentiate between different types of materials or minerals that Sentinel-2, for instance, would be unable to tell apart.
Now, it’s time for some real-world applications.
What can you use short-wave infrared data for?
Our customers are constantly coming up with new ways to use Earth observation data. Below are some ways that SWIR is already being used; we’ll expand this list as new applications are added.
Tracking & fighting wildfires
SWIR can see through smoke from fires to showcase whatever’s beneath. This makes it extremely valuable for fighting forest fires, as smoke obscures our vision, and the intense heat from strong forest fires can sometimes blind thermal infrared sensors. SWIR can pinpoint the exact fireline and easily detect smaller fires that have jumped off, so pilots know where they need to target.
It should be noted that SWIR isn’t as good at seeing through water vapour. In case of heavy natural clouds, or forest fires that are evaporating large amounts of water and creating steam, SAR data can be used in conjunction with SWIR data for more effective monitoring.
Mineral surveying & mining
Where our eyes would see a fairly uniformly coloured mountain range, SWIR allows geologists to map alteration zones, which are often signals for underground metal deposits. Gold, silver, copper and zinc deposits can be found this way, removing the need for manual field surveys that might take years.
The exploration aspect of a field survey isn’t the only time-consuming part. Even under a microscope, minerals like illite and muscovite look nearly identical. But WorldView-3 can tell them apart easily. As muscovite is much more likely to be near the center of a gold deposit, this is an important differentiation.
Urban planning
SWIR’s ability to differentiate between different materials makes urban planning one of its most popular use cases.
To our eyes, dark grey roofs could be made of many different materials, from painted wooden shingles to asphalt shingles. SWIR data can be used to analyze entire neighborhoods and determine which roofs are potentially flammable in fire-prone zones.
City planners also need to know which parts of cities are at risk of flooding. In this case, SWIR data is useful for deciphering which areas are permeable to water (soil and grass) versus impermeable (concrete, asphalt, or other solid materials). This allows planners to see where water will pool during rainstorms and plan for better drainage tactics.
Last but not least, there’s urban heat islands. To reduce heat in cities, planners can use SWIR data to find areas that would benefit from cooling initiatives like green roofs or cool pavement coatings. Afterwards, SWIR data can also be used to analyze the effectiveness of these initiatives and see if they were done properly.
WorldView-3 on the UP42 platform
Want to try out WorldView-3, but unsure where to start?
If you have questions, our team would be happy to help! Just reach out here. Or you can head directly to the platform and try it for yourself.
