Leads: Takeo Tadono (JAXA), Stéphane Chalifoux (CSA), Nuno Miranda (ESA), Shadi Oveisgharan (NASA/JPL)
The primary goal for SG1 is to support SAR mission coordination for existing or near-to-launch missions to improve collection of spatially gap-free and temporally dense SAR data sets at all available SAR frequency bands. This includes coordinating the tasking of commercial satellites through agency data purchase agreements.
The following activities are planned:
Action SG1-1: A number of organisations have been exploring the possibility of automated disaster response tasking tools for SAR data, to ensure data can be collected as soon as possible after a disaster hits – in particular geological hazards such as earthquakes. The NISAR mission team developed the smart-tasking tool, which automates the coordination of urgent response requests, both through triggered requests from alert feeds such as the USGS PAGER system, and through a graphical user interface available for approved users to submit requests for specific regions, time-frames, and radar modes. SAR-VC will coordinate with WGDisasters to investigate the possibility of expanding this tool to make it accessible by all SAR mission operators.
Action SG1-2: SAR-VC will also support calibration and validation activities, which will involve coordination with the WGCV SAR Subgroup, who focus on Level 1 data. SAR-VC will expand on this by focusing on the calibration and validation of higher level products, to support application areas of interest including agriculture, urban and oceanography. SAR-VC will identify the type of satellite data required alongside suitable models, to develop validation protocols for each use case.
Action SG2-3 (aligned with future mission coordination activities, but also relevant for current mission planning coordination): SAR mission operators often run independent mission planning tools, which help operators in the tasking and planning of acquisitions. A cross-validated tool would help optimize mission plans across agencies to ensure global coverage across all bands to the greatest extent possible. SAR-VC will undertake a cross-validation exercise of all available SAR mission planning tools.