TerraSAR-X Services - Germany's New Radar Satellite for Multiple Applications
* Infoterra GmbH to establish commercial TerraSAR-X business
* First 1 metre Radar Satellite Data Services available commercially
* First Data Deliveries expected by end of year
Berlin, ILA 2006, 16 May 2006
Infoterra GmbH was founded in 2001 as part of the TerraSAR-X Programme: The industry partner, EADS Astrium, had agreed to create a subsidiary for the specific purpose of establishing a commercial market for TerraSAR-X data as well as TerraSAR-X-based geo-information products and services. This will ensure the commercial success of the TerraSAR-X mission and pave the way towards financing the follow-on mission TerraSAR-X-2.
Infoterra GmbH holds the exclusive commercial exploitation rights for the radar satellite, and will supply new-quality radar data as well as a variety of radar-based geo-information products as soon as the satellite is operational in late 2006. Since early 2004, the company has worked on establishing a comprehensive distribution network, which will secure the reliable and efficient distribution of TerraSAR-X data worldwide.
Aead of the satellite's launch, Infoterra GmbH is carrying out regular large-scale airborne radar mapping activities around the world, building on its extensive experience in airborne mapping. Furthermore, in a number of national and international projects, Infoterra GmbH works on developing and demonstrating a range of reliable, affordable and cost-efficient geo-information services that will be significantly enhanced and improved by the future TerraSAR-X data.
Infoterra GmbH employs a constantly growing workforce of 40 in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and is part of the Infoterra Group. Together with Infoterra Ltd in the UK and Infoterra SAS in France, the company forges close ties in order to promote their Earth observation and geospatial information products and services to a worldwide audience. In addition, Infoterra is able to draw on its close links with Spot Image, which is 40% owned by EADS Astrium. These companies are among the world’s leading suppliers of value-added products and services derived from satellite and aerial remote sensing data.
TerraSAR-X Services Portfolio
Earth observation from space has traditionally been mainly focused on scientific needs, however satellite data and the derived information products are increasingly used for a variety of commercial applications.
Infoterra GmbH has established a substantial portfolio of image and geo-information products, and data access services, as well as numerous applications; all of them relying on TerraSAR-X data.
While some geo-information services are still in a development stage and will not be fully available before the actual TerraSAR-X data is available, clients have the opportunity to purchase data access rights today, ensuring their exclusive and prioritized access to future data.
Basic Image Products
Depending on the clients´ specifications and the desired application, the basic image products can be generated with any combination of the following image characteristics:
The products can be acquired in one of three main Image Modes:
• Spotlight (up to 1m resolution, 10km x 5 or 10km)
• StripMap (up to 3m resolution, 30km x up to 1,500km)
• ScanSAR (up to 16m resolution, 100km x up to 1,500km)
In addition, the Polarisation Modes allow a variety of polarimetric combinations in HH/VV, HH/HV, or VV/HV, and the client may choose from several different geometric projections.
Enhanced Image Products
Orthorectified Image ORISAR: The enhanced ellipsoid corrected (EEC) SAR data, corresponding to DLR DEM standards, provides an excellent quality suitable for the vast majority of possible applications. On demand, high-precision digital elevation models can serve as an improved input to the orthorectification process of the ORISAR images, resulting in a higher geometric accuracy. Optionally, a Radiometric Normalisation RaNSAR, compensating the dependency on local incidence angle of different objects on ground, is available.
Mosaic MCSAR: Neighbouring orthorectified images are combined into one, the intersection line being specifically selected in order to avoid the visibility of cutting edges. All scenes are radiometrically balanced, which results in a seamless mosaic.
Oriented Image OISAR: Oriented images are subsets of a mosaic, which are characterised by sheet orientations and layout according to relevant mapping standards or customer defined extensions.
Ascending-Descending Merge ADMSAR: For certain applications, TerraSAR-X data may be better utilised in a combination of ascending and descending scenes, as an ADMSAR, reducing the impact of layover and shadows in the image. All enhanced image products are optionally available as ADMSAR. The scope of delivery of an ADMSAR image includes the single ascending and descending mode images as ORISAR images.
Geo-Information Products
Orthomap OMSAR: An OMSAR is an orthorectified image in a map frame with a legend. The layout ranges from simple map frames to a highly integrated cartographic product, according to relevant mapping standards or customer specifications.
Change Detection Map CDMSAR: The CDMSAR provides information on changes in surface sealing and urban sprawl. Such information can be used e.g. for urban monitoring and urban planning applications or map updates.
Subsidence Map SUBSAR: The SUBSAR provides information on long-term surface displacement. Such displacement may be caused e.g. by subsurface mining, and the resulting maps can be used for risk diagnostics.
Basic Applications
TerraSAR-X derived basic applications serve as precursors of, or input to, a large variety of value-adding processes.
Reconnaissance is a major application area of TerraSAR-X: intelligence and reconnaissance agencies and humanitarian aid organisations appreciate systems that offer very high resolution data as well as timely data acquisition. While these institutions customarily resort to data acquired by optical sensors - often a lengthy operation - TerraSAR-X’s complementary near-real time data acquisition capabilities offer a whole new approach to the use of space-borne datasets in time-critical situations.
TerraSAR-X features an unprecedented, unique agility: it is possible to switch between its three different modes and various polarisations within only 1 to 3 seconds, corresponding to surface acquisition gaps of only 7 to 20km.
Time-critical data can be downloaded to selected ground stations - fixed or mobile - around the globe, thus enabling the near-real time data acquisition.
Furthermore, the satellite's very high resolution of up to 1m, its high radiometric accuracy, its weather and daylight independence, and its rapid site access time of 2.5 days max.
2 days at 95% probability to any point on Earth make TerraSAR-X an ideal sensor to support sensitive decision-making in time-critical situations.
Topographic Base Maps provide information about the Earth's surface on an artificial and natural level. The extracted linear, point, and spatial thematic features of TerraSAR-X data are a valuable input to topographic base mapping and map updating.
Particularly in equatorial regions that are almost permanently covered by clouds, TerraSAR-X, compared to most existing airborne and space-borne sensors, enables a more cost- and time-efficient base mapping approach in these areas.
In all areas of the world, TerraSAR-X data can serve as a basis for regular updates of existing high-resolution mapping data. The use of radar imagery offers an innovative and competitive alternative to today’s approaches using optical satellites or aerial campaigns.
Depending on the specific application and its requirements, scales of maps created with TerraSAR-X data range from large area overviews (1:250,000) to higher resolution maps (1:10,000).
Land Use/Land Cover Maps provide land surface information on different thematic levels. TerraSAR-X data delivers new input parameters that improve existing interpretation methodologies and thus the quality of land use and land cover maps.
Digital Elevation Models (DEM) display relief information of the Earth´s surface. TerraSAR-X itself can provide valuable inputs for DEM generation and updates. However, an implementation of the TanDEM-X Mission - a second, very similar spacecraft that will orbit in a formation flight with TerraSAR-X - will allow global DEM generation of an unprecedented accuracy, coverage and quality, starting 2009.
Thematic Applications
TerraSAR-X data can contribute to an increased efficiency in the production of geo-information products and in the sustainability of services.
Spatial Planning: TerraSAR-X supports the use of other EO data through its multi-scale, multi-temporal and multi-polarised observations of remote areas that were formerly almost impossible to map. The back-scatter intensity and textural information of the TerraSAR-X data provide information on the ob-served surface features in an area.
Risk Diagnostics: The weather-independent TerraSAR-X data is an important basis for rapid mapping activities in the case of natural disasters. Such maps significantly support crisis squads and relief agencies on the ground. In addition, they support insurance services as well as liability and reinsurance businesses.
Forestry: TerraSAR-X will support overview forest mapping activities thanks to its relatively large swath, which facilitates large area assessments, but will also allow an assessment of small-scale issues due to its high spatial resolution products.
Agriculture: TerraSAR-X supports agricultural mapping services through multi-temporal and multi-polarisation observations and facilitates large-area assessments. Agricultural applications can be generated from TerraSAR-X data and auxiliary data through synergistic exploitation and will be developed task-specifically.
Direct Access Services
The Direct Access (DA) Service is the fastest way to TerraSAR-X data: the data can be received directly from the spacecraft at a local ground station, which is operated by regional sales partners, Direct Access Partners (DAP), end users, or Direct Access Customers (DAC).
The simple steps of acquiring data as a DAC or DAP are:
• Pre-planning and ordering of acquisitions via the secure, web-based ordering tool
• Reception of ordered acquisitions at the own ground station
• Individual processing of received raw data for commercial applications (DAPs) or for internal applications (DACs)
The Direct Access service is provided by Infoterra GmbH exclusively. A ser-vice agreement has to be established between Infoterra GmbH and the DAC/DAP, before the Direct Access Station (DAS)/Direct Access Terminal (DAT) is installed at a location selected by the DAC/DAP.
Direct Access Station (DAS): Infoterra GmbH, together with its partners, will provide the DAC/DAP with a ground station in order to enable a direct reception of TerraSAR-X data. A DAS typically comprises an antenna, front end, demo-dulator, reception control, station management, multi-mission archive and the Direct Access Terminal (DAT). Should the DAC/DAP already be in possession of a multi-mission ground station, this will be equipped with an adaptation package and the TerraSAR-X Direct Access Terminal (DAT), enabling the reception of TerraSAR-X raw data.
The Direct Access Terminal (DAT) enables ingestion, decryption, processing and archiving of the received raw data. The service package typically provided with a DAT consists of a certified SAR processor, a TerraSAR-X terminal operator training, the station setup support, maintenance, and lastly, upgrade and enhancement packages.
About Infoterra GmbH
Infoterra GmbH was launched in 2001 for the purpose of exclusively pursuing the exploitation of the new German radar satellite TerraSAR-X. This satellite – due to be launched in late 2006 – will provide daylight and weather independent, high resolution (1m) radar data with operational flexibility. This allows the company to offer to its clients an extensive portfolio of TerraSAR-X based products and services, ranging from basic radar imagery to sophisticated geo-information products and thematic applications, as well as including data access services.
Furthermore, Infoterra GmbH has established a leading role in providing land services within the European GMES Initiative of European Commission (EC) and European Space Agency (ESA).
Infoterra GmbH is part of the Infoterra group which comprises companies in France, Germany and the United Kingdom with 300 employees and a turnover of 50 million Euros per year. Infoterra GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium GmbH.
Contact
Mareike Doepke
Infoterra GmbH – Communications
www.infoterra.de
Tel.: +49 7545 8 3924
Cellphone: +49 171 793 72 53
Fax: +49 7545 8 1337
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