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Abstract
In the course of the TerraSAR-X mission, various new applications based on X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data have been developed and made available as operational products or services. In this article, we elaborate on proven characteristics of TerraSAR-X that are responsible for development of operational applications. This article is written from the perspective of a commercial data and service provider and the focus is on the following applications with high commercial relevance, and varying operational maturity levels: Surface Movement Monitoring (SMM), Ground Control Point (GCP) extraction and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR). Based on these applications, the article highlights the successful transition of innovative research into sustainable and operational use within various market segments. TerraSAR-X’s high orbit accuracy, its precise radar beam tracing, the high-resolution modes, and high-quality radiometric performance have proven to be the instrument’s advanced characteristics, through, which reliable ground control points and surface movement measurements are obtained. Moreover, TerraSAR-X high-resolution data has been widely exploited for the clarity of its target signatures in the fields of target intelligence and identification. TerraSAR-X’s multi temporal interferometry applications are non-invasive and are now fully standardised autonomous tools to measure surface deformation. In particular, multi-baseline interferometric techniques, such as Persistent Scatter Interferometry (PSI) and Small Baseline Subsets (SBAS) benefit from TerraSAR-X’s highly precise orbit information and phase stability. Similarly, the instrument’s precise orbit information is responsible for sub-metre accuracy of Ground Control Points (GCPs), which are essential inputs for orthorectification of remote sensing imagery, to locate targets, and to precisely georeference a variety of datasets. While geolocation accuracy is an essential ingredient in the intelligence field, high-resolution TerraSAR-X data, particularly in Staring SpotLight mode has been widely used in surveillance, security and reconnaissance applications in real-time and also by automatic or assisted target recognition software.
Highlights
Designed for a five years operation, the German Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite TerraSAR-X has already achieved ten years of flawless operation in orbit providing high-resolution radar images in all weather conditions 24 h per day
TerraSAR-X is in full health so that a current assessment indicates that it can be operated for a few more years in space until a follow-on system is in place
TerraSAR-X has paved the way for its national focus on a sustainable SAR technology strategy, in addition to disseminating know-how and exploring new paths for the generation of high performance SAR Systems based on advanced features (High Resolution Wide Swath (HRWS), digital beamforming)
Summary
Designed for a five years operation, the German Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite TerraSAR-X has already achieved ten years of flawless operation in orbit providing high-resolution radar images in all weather conditions 24 h per day. TerraSAR-X features a unique geometric accuracy and offers flexible area coverage and spatial resolution ranging from 0.25 m to 40.0 m This answers the needs of a wide range of application domains, such as engineering companies who ensure safe operation of large construction projects, oil and gas enterprises that monitor remote production sites, or intelligence and security agencies that carry out targeted surveillance and detailed change detection of site activities. The applications are selected, since they all share a high commercial relevance, but they vary with respect to their operational maturity level. They reflect the typical transition steps from a scientific into a commercial context. The achievable performance of each application in accordance with the satellite’s systematic and processing characteristics is described
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