The commercial remote sensing market is approximately $2.2 billion and growing at 10 to 15 percent per year, according to a study by the American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing of Bethesda, Md.

The society reported that commercial manufacturers' top markets for remote sensing are national and global security (41 percent), general-purpose mapping (17 percent) and civil government (15 percent). Aerial-based revenues comprised about 41 percent of the total, with satellite-based revenues at 31 percent.

The society defines remote sensing as image mapping, photogrammetry and analysis, and image-based geographic information systems.