PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact: Mary A. Hardin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 1996
NASA SEEKS INDUSTRY FEEDBACK ON PROPOSED RADAR SATELLITE
Researchers will meet at a workshop next week to consider a
proposed Earth-imaging satellite that would use advanced
technologies to demonstrate how radar mission costs can be
dramatically reduced while still producing unique data for
science, commercial remote sensing, and emergency management
applications.
Engineers, scientists and industry representatives will meet
to weigh options for proceeding with the proposed mission, called
LightSAR, a small synthetic aperture radar mission expected to
cost less than about $150 million, including its launch vehicle.
"A successful LightSAR Technology Validation Mission would
usher in a new
era where low-cost radar satellites are routinely available for
NASA research, commercial applications, and many other uses,"
said Dr. Tony Freeman, one of the workshop's organizers from
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "At this workshop, NASA will
discuss the proposed LightSAR mission with representatives from
U.S. industry and the
user community, and get their input on how best to proceed. This
will include possible partnership agreements with U.S.
companies."
The workshop, sponsored by JPL and the U.S. Geological
Survey, will be held August 27-29 at the Earth Resources
Observational Satellite (EROS) Data Center in Sioux Falls, South
Dakota.
The potential commercial market for radar images and related
information
includes federal and state governments, and companies involved in
forest management, agriculture-related business, oil, gas and
mineral extraction. Earth scientists could use the LightSAR data
to measure surface deformation in earthquake faults, quantify
biomass change in deforestation studies, and map the extent of
floods and the regrowth in their wake.
The combination of the global reach of spaceborne radar and
its ability to provide images day or night, independent of the
weather, is the primary attraction for potential new radar data
users, according to Freeman. LightSAR's L-Band radar
measurements would provide high-resolution images on a nearly
continuous basis, giving the project considerable capability to
map changes in land cover, generate topographic maps and provide
long-term mapping of natural hazards.
"One of the keys to this mission is the use of new
technologies to greatly
reduce the weight of the radar, yet still obtain improved
performance, including advanced lightweight antenna panels and
high-efficiency electronics," said Dr. Steven Bard, the LightSAR
pre-project manager at JPL. "It is very ambitious to attempt to
prove these new technologies while also developing an
'operational' three-year mission that produces valuable data for
science, civilian, and commercial users. Ultimately, we think
there is a
profitable commercial market for this information, so we are
trying to team with industry and get them to share the cost of
LightSAR development and operations."
In parallel to the spacecraft and radar development, a
program to develop
applications of LightSAR image data will be managed by NASA's
Stennis Space
Center in Mississippi.
The implementation of a ground segment to support the
acquisition of LightSAR
science data for NASA is under study at the Alaska SAR Facility,
Fairbanks, Alaska, and the EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South
Dakota.
JPL is managing the pre-project development of the LightSAR
mission for NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC.
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