SARTREK Newsletter: September 2002

In This Issue:

1. Announcing the RADARSAT-2 SOAR Program
2. RADARSAT-2: Improvements for Forestry Applications
3. RADARSAT-2: Program and Operations Update
4. Ask The Expert

Announcing the RADARSAT-2 SOAR Program

RADARSAT International is pleased to announce the RADARSAT-2 SOAR program in partnership with MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates and the Canadian Government through the Canadian Space Agency and Natural Resources Canada's Canada Centre for Remote Sensing. The vision of this program is to make the scientifically possible operationally practical. As such, the program is designed to facilitate research and development of information products using RADARSAT-2. The program was officially announced at the IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) held this past June in Toronto.

SOAR Introductory Brochure (PDF file size: 227 KB)

SOAR Frequently Asked Questions

RADARSAT-2: Improvements for Forestry Applications

With the new multi-polarization capabilities of RADARSAT-2, the quality and quantity of information provided for forestry applications will surpass that currently provided by RADARSAT-1.

Multi-polarization will increase the information content of a single image where as in comparison, it would require multi-temporal RADARSAT-1 or ERS-1/2 images to achieve similar information. The cross-polarized and quad-polarized data are expected to improve both clear cut identification and logging road detection. The higher resolution capabilities of RADARSAT-2 will also increase feature detection and identification.

During the NASA PACRIM-2 2000 mission, C-band multi-polarized AIRSAR data was collected over New Zealand and Indonesia. Research was conducted on the use of this data for forestry applications.

Full Story

RADARSAT- 2: Program and Operations Update

In this issue of SAR-Trek, we will examine the RADARSAT-2 Processing and Distribution Subsystem (PDS). Within the RADARSAT-2 Ground Segment, the role of the PDS is to process the raw SAR data into final QA'd products and prepare them for delivery to the customer.

Processing and Distribution Subsystem is provided courtesy of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates.

Full Paper

Ask The Expert

In our last newsletter we announced the "Ask an Expert" program. If you have any questions on RADARSAT-2 or some of the applications or analysis of the new RADARSAT-2 features, please send them to us. We will share the answers to your questions in a SAR -Trek e-newsletter.

Your question:
Which map scale will be achieved with RADARSAT-2?

Our answer:
The expected planimetric accuracy and image content of a RADARSAT-2 image will be suitable for 1:20,000 scale maps.

E-mail: "Ask the Expert"