1. ESA inputs on SAR ARD Susanne Mecklenburg, Nuno Miranda Steven Hosford
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites
ESA inputs on SAR ARD
Susanne Mecklenburg, Nuno Miranda Steven Hosford
LSI-VC-5
Agenda Item #4a.2
February 2018

2. Summary SAR ARD session @ WGCalVal SAR subgroup
ESA open questions on SAR backscatter PFS
ESA pilot prototyping study on SAR ARD processing chain

3. SAR ARD session @ WGCalVal SAR subgroup
ESA (Nuno Miranda) proposed a SAR ARD the last WGCalVal SAR subgroup
7th – 9th November, JPL, Passadena
SAR ARD session was scheduled early on 8th to allow call- in from Europe (S. Hosford, A. Siqueira)
Session composed of 2 presentations and discussion
The Analysis Ready Data (ARD) concept and a first proposal of ARD for SAR, B. Killough, CEOS SEO, NASA
Canadian perspective on Analysis Ready SAR Data, F. Charbonneau, CCMEO, Canada

4. SAR ARD session @ WGCalVal SAR subgroup
The Analysis Ready Data (ARD) concept and a first proposal of ARD for SAR, B. Killough, CEOS SEO, NASA
Current implementation of a “SAR ARD” as input to datacubes based on an RTC Gamma0 product.
Thoughts on use of polarimetric decomposition of SAR as band inputs to datacube
Canadian perspective on Analysis Ready SAR Data, F. Charbonneau, CCMEO, Canada
First feedback from a Canadian study looking at how a datacube (GEODE) could facilitate access to data and processing capacity for institutional users in Canada
Major question is what “ARD” product should be made available in the cube?

5. SAR ARD session @ WGCalVal SAR subgroup
Outcomes
A WGCV subgroup with diverse centres of interest reacted differently to the subject:
SAR “purists” – not in favour of the concept which wastes information in the data
Agencies in contact with users reported a clear interest in the ARD concept among their users (CCMEO, ASF, …)
Hardware experts who have little interest in ARD
As a whole the WGCV SAR subgroup did not wish to take an active role in advancing SAR ARD …
… however this remains the best placed group to provide technical inputs.
ESA proposes a “SAR ARD” team whose objective is to exchange and coordinate agency work on SAR ARD … could this be within LSI-VC?

6. ESA open questions on SAR backscatter PFS
Some identified processing steps are “S1-centric” and may prevent deriving ARD products from other sensors
Direct application of the RTC approach will not give good results on historical missions (given geolocation accuracy)
As defined SAR PSF (γ0) is incompatible with PALSAR mosaics which are σ0
Which backscatter coefficient is best suited to land applications - γ, σ, β?
Which polarimetric parameters are best for use in land applications? How compliant are these with RTC?

7. ESA pilot prototyping study on SAR ARD processing chain
Purpose: to develop an ARD prototype for ERS, ASAR and S-1 to fine-tune an ARD processing chain and obtain lessons learned
Use of RTC to allow geometric interoperability between sensors of the same family.
Need for complementary geometric processing steps?
Address questions listed previously such as most appropriate
backscatter coefficient
polarimetric parameters

8. Production/testing phase R&D phase in parallel
Processing
integration
Three part pilot study
S/W development
Production/testing phase
R&D phase in parallel