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NV5 Geospatial Blog

Each month, NV5 Geospatial posts new blog content across a variety of categories. Browse our latest posts below to learn about important geospatial information or use the search bar to find a specific topic or author. Stay informed of the latest blog posts, events, and technologies by joining our email list!



Not All Supernovae Are Created Equal: Rethinking the Universe’s Measuring Tools

Not All Supernovae Are Created Equal: Rethinking the Universe’s Measuring Tools

6/3/2025

Rethinking the Reliability of Type 1a Supernovae   How do astronomers measure the universe? It all starts with distance. From gauging the size of a galaxy to calculating how fast the universe is expanding, measuring cosmic distances is essential to understanding everything in the sky. For nearby stars, astronomers use... Read More >

Using LLMs To Research Remote Sensing Software: Helpful, but Incomplete

Using LLMs To Research Remote Sensing Software: Helpful, but Incomplete

5/26/2025

Whether you’re new to remote sensing or a seasoned expert, there is no doubt that large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini can be incredibly useful in many aspects of research. From exploring the electromagnetic spectrum to creating object detection models using the latest deep learning... Read More >

From Image to Insight: How GEOINT Automation Is Changing the Speed of Decision-Making

From Image to Insight: How GEOINT Automation Is Changing the Speed of Decision-Making

4/28/2025

When every second counts, the ability to process geospatial data rapidly and accurately isn’t just helpful, it’s critical. Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) has always played a pivotal role in defense, security, and disaster response. But in high-tempo operations, traditional workflows are no longer fast enough. Analysts are... Read More >

Thermal Infrared Echoes: Illuminating the Last Gasp of a Dying Star

Thermal Infrared Echoes: Illuminating the Last Gasp of a Dying Star

4/24/2025

This blog was written by Eli Dwek, Emeritus, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD and Research Fellow, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA. It is the fifth blog in a series showcasing our IDL® Fellows program which supports passionate retired IDL users who may need support to continue their work... Read More >

A New Era of Hyperspectral Imaging with ENVI® and Wyvern’s Open Data Program

A New Era of Hyperspectral Imaging with ENVI® and Wyvern’s Open Data Program

2/25/2025

This blog was written in collaboration with Adam O’Connor from Wyvern.   As hyperspectral imaging (HSI) continues to grow in importance, access to high-quality satellite data is key to unlocking new insights in environmental monitoring, agriculture, forestry, mining, security, energy infrastructure management, and more.... Read More >

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Eye on Upcoming SAR sensors

Anonym

This year is a big year for the launch of new SAR sensors. For those of you interested in utilizing the advantages of SAR data, which include penetration of clouds and collection even at night, here is a roundup of new and upcoming SAR missions:

Sentinel-1A

The European Space Agency's Sentinel-1A satellite successfully launched on 3 April 2014. Sentinel-1A is the first of two Sentinel-1 satellites designed by the ESA. It's payload is a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar.

Sentinel-1 is designed to ensure SAR data continuity following the retirement of ERS-2 and the end of the Envisat mission. Sentinel-1 will also incorporate important improvements relative to its predecessor missions. Among the most important is the fact that Sentinel-1 will be a continuously operational satellite, which requires improved reliability and provides faster revisit times, geographical coverage and rapid data dissemination. Each of the Sentinel-1 satellites will have a 12-day repeat cycle at the equator, with the pair reaching a 6-day repeat once Sentinel-1b is launched. Over Europe and Canada, the Sentinel-1 pair is expected to provide near-daily coverage, with delivery of radar data within an hour of acquisition.

The Sentinel-1 systems are designed for operational interferometry, meeting requirements for attitude accuracy, attitude, and orbit knowledge, and data-take timing accuracy. Sentinel-1 is designed to address medium-resolution applications with its main mode: a wide swath (250 km) and medium resolution (5 m range x 20m azimuth).

The first radar images from Sentinel-1A were captured April 12. Sentinel-1A is expected to become fully operational around mid July. Sentinel-1b is scheduled to launch in 2015.

ALOS-2 PALSAR-2

The Phased Array typeL-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 (PALSAR-2) aboard the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2, a.k.a. "DAICHI-2") is a follow-on mission to the radar component of the ALOS, a.k.a. "DAICHI", mission. ALOS-2 is currently scheduled to launch on May 25, 2014.

PALSAR and PALSAR-2 are L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar systems. The enhanced capabilities of PALSAR-2 relative to PALSAR will include higher resolution and expanded observable range of the satellite. ALOS-2 will have a spotlight mode (1 to 3m) and a high resolution mode (3 to 10m). Moreover, ALSO-2 will have a right-and-left looking function, currently not available on ALOS/PALSAR.

SAOCOM 1A

The Satélite Argentino de Observación con Microondas (SAOCOM 1A) mission of the the Argentinian National Space Activities Commission (CONAE) will include an L-band fully polarimetric SAR system with resolution ranging from 10 to 100 m. SAOCOM 1A will also carry a thermal infrared sensor.

CONAE's web site still says SEOCOM 1A is being developed to launch in 2013, and some watchers expect that it may not be launched until 2015. But, I'm optimistically putting it on the list for 2014.

Along with X-band COSMO-SkyMed SAR systems from the Italian Space Agency ASI, SAOCOM 1A and its eventual twin SAOCOM 1B will make up the Italian-Argentine System of Satellites for Emergency Management (SIASGE) constellation. According to CONAE:

"The six satellites (SAOCOM and COSMO SkyMed) shall be placed at the same altitude in polar orbits, on different orbital planes, in such a way that the whole set will work as one instrument with a huge vision width on the Earth. This will enable monitoring in almost real time, since the information shall be updated every 12 hours, which is particularly necessary for the monitoring and tracking of disaster evolution."

Data products CONAE expects to distribute based on SAOCOM data include soil moisture maps and interferometric products.

SMAP

NASA JPL's upcoming Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission will carry an L-band SAR system using VV, HH, and HV polarizations (it will not be fully polarimetric). SMAP will collect higher resolution (250 m) data over land, and low-resolution globally. After multilooking and resampling, SMAP data products are expected to have 1 km resolution over land.

SMAP is designed specifically to provide global measurements of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state. In addition to the L-band SAR sensor, SMAP will contain an L-band radiometer, which will allow it to combine the relative strengths of active and passive remote sensing. The combined radar-radiometer-based soil moisture product will be generated at about an intermediate 9-km resolution with three-day global revisit frequency.

JPL expects to launch SMAP this coming November.

1 comments on article "Eye on Upcoming SAR sensors"

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James Slater

With Sentinel-1A now in orbit and the European Delegated Act on Copernicus data and information policy in place the first stages of assuring free of charge global access to SAR data are in place!

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Free_access_to_Copernicus_Sentinel_satellite_data

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