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- Documents (11)
News - Events and Proceedings
ESA Earth observation event supports quality of New Space data
In the context of a rapidly growing New Space economy, ESA’s traditional position as an Earth Observation (EO) data provider is interchanged with new additional roles, such as customer, partner or enabler, as set out at the VH-RODA workshop.
Document - Newsletter
Earth Online Newsletter 01 December 2023
This issue of the Earth Online Newsletter covers a selection of the latest news and events from ESA.
News - Success Stories
ESA promotes radio frequency monitoring as Spire becomes TPM
The global company Spire, which specialises in using continuous global monitoring to track aircraft, ships and weather patterns using a large constellation of CubeSats, is now an ESA Third Party Mission.
News - General News
International collaboration: Summarising ESA’s Third Party Missions
ESA’s Third Party Missions programme consists of more than 50 missions from around the world. Learn more about the Third Party Missions in this video.
News - Thematic area articles
Satellites expand research on Space Weather and Sun-Earth Interactions
Earth observation data provide vital warnings about the impact of solar activity and strive to unravel the influence the Sun has on Earth’s system.
Document - General Reference
Heritage Space Programme interactive brochure
Learn about ESA's Heritage Space Programme in this interactive brochure.
Document - General Reference
Heritage Missions brochure
This brochure describes ESA's Heritage Space Programme and includes infographics describing some of the missions in the programme.
Document - General Reference
Third Party Missions Brochure
This brochure summarises ESA's Third Party Missions programme, providing a timeline and examples of content related to some of the missions.
News - Infographics
Timeline to over 40 years of historical satellite missions
ESA's Heritage Space Programme preserves historical data from over 40 years of Earth observation missions.
News - Infographics
An overview of ESA's Third Party Missions programme
ESA’s Third Party Missions programme consists of almost 50 satellite missions, which are owned by organisations around the world. ESA has agreements with these organisations to acquire, process, and distribute data from their missions
News - Infographics
ESA Third Party Missions timeline
We've released a new timeline to illustrate the history of the ESA Third Party Missions.
Activity - General activities
GSCB and LTDP
The Copernicus programme is based on a fleet of European Earth observation satellites, built and operated by ESA, member states and commercial entities. Copernicus will also offer data from non-European satellites.
Document - Product Document
SPIRE-Final-Data-Report-Form.pdf
This document is the final form to be filled in after a proposal for SPIRE data, describing how useful the data was etc.
Document - Technical Note
SPIRE-Terms-Of-Applicability.pdf
This document contains the Terms of Applicability and Terms and Conditions for the SPIRE Third Party Mission Data.
Tools - Other
Geohazards TEP
The Geohazards Thematic Exploitation Platform (TEP) aims to provide Earth observation data for supporting geohazards applications.
Data - Fast Registration with approval (Restrained)
RADARSAT-2 ESA archive
The RADARSAT-2 ESA archive collection consists of RADARSAT-2 products requested by ESA supported projects over their areas of interest around the world. The dataset regularly grows as ESA collects new products over the years. Following Beam modes are available: Standard, Wide Swath, Fine Resolution, Extended Low Incidence, Extended High Incidence, ScanSAR Narrow and ScanSAR Wide. Standard Beam Mode allows imaging over a wide range of incidence angles with a set of image quality characteristics which provides a balance between fine resolution and wide coverage, and between spatial and radiometric resolutions. Standard Beam Mode operates with any one of eight beams, referred to as S1 to S8, in single and dual polarisation . The nominal incidence angle range covered by the full set of beams is 20 degrees (at the inner edge of S1) to 52 degrees (at the outer edge of S8). Each individual beam covers a nominal ground swath of 100 km within the total standard beam accessibility swath of more than 500 km. Beam Mode Product Nominal Resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Standard SLC 25 8.0 or 11.8 x 5.1 9.0 or 13.5 x 7.7 100 x 100 20 - 52 1 x 1 Single Pol HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual HH + HV or VV + VH SGX 8.0 x 8.0 26.8 - 17.3 x 24.7 1 x 4 SGF 12.5 x 12.5 SSG, SPG Wide Swath Beam Mode allows imaging of wider swaths than Standard Beam Mode, but at the expense of slightly coarser spatial resolution. The three Wide Swath beams, W1, W2 and W3, provide coverage of swaths of approximately 170 km, 150 km and 130 km in width respectively, and collectively span a total incidence angle range from 20 degrees to 45 degrees. Polarisation can be single and dual. Beam Mode Product Nominal Resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Wide SLC 30 11.8 x 5.1 13.5 x 7.7 150 x 150 20 - 45 1 x 1 Single: Pol HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual: HH + HV or VV + VH SGX 10 x 10 40.0 - 19.2 x 24.7 1 x 4 SGF 12.5 x 12.5 SSG, SPG Fine Resolution Beam Mode is intended for applications which require finer spatial resolution. Products from this beam mode have a nominal ground swath of 50 km. Nine Fine Resolution physical beams, F23 to F21, and F1 to F6 are available to cover the incidence angle range from 30 to 50 degrees. For each of these beams, the swath can optionally be centred with respect to the physical beam or it can be shifted slightly to the near or far range side. Thanks to these additional swath positioning choices, overlaps of more than 50% are provided between adjacent swaths. RADARSAT-2 can operate in single and dual polarisation for this beam mode. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Fine SLC 8 4.7 x 5.1 5.2 x 7.7 50 x 50 30 - 50 1 x 1 Single: Pol HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual: HH + HV or VV + VH SGX 3.13 x 3.13 10.4 - 6.8 x 7.7 1 x 1 SGF 6.25 x 6.25 SSG, SPG In the Extended Low Incidence Beam Mode, a single Extended Low Incidence Beam, EL1, is provided for imaging in the incidence angle range from 10 to 23 degrees with a nominal ground swath coverage of 170 km. Some minor degradation of image quality can be expected due to operation of the antenna beyond its optimum scan angle range. Only single polarisation is available. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Extended Low SLC 25 8.0 x 5.1 9.0 x 7.7 170 x 170 10 - 23 1 x 1 Single: HH SGX 10.0 x 10.0 52.7 - 23.3 x 24.7 1 x 4 SGF 12.5 x 12.5 SSG, SPG In the Extended High Incidence Beam Mode, six Extended High Incidence Beams, EH1 to EH6, are available for imaging in the 49 to 60 degree incidence angle range. Since these beams operate outside the optimum scan angle range of the SAR antenna, some degradation of image quality, becoming progressively more severe with increasing incidence angle, can be expected when compared with the Standard Beams. Swath widths are restricted to a nominal 80 km for the inner three beams, and 70 km for the outer beams. Only single polarisation available. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Extended High SLC 25 11.8 x 5.1 13.5 x 7.7 75 x 75 49 - 60 1 x 1 Single Pol HH SGX 8.0 x 8.0 18.2 - 15.9 x 24.7 1 x 4 SGF 12.5 x 12.5 SSG, SPG ScanSAR Narrow Beam Mode provides coverage of a ground swath approximately double the width of the Wide Swath Beam Mode swaths. Two swath positions with different combinations of physical beams can be used: SCNA, which uses physical beams W1 and W2, and SCNB, which uses physical beams W2, S5, and S6. Both options provide coverage of swath widths of about 300 km. The SCNA combination provides coverage over the incidence angle range from 20 to 39 degrees. The SCNB combination provides coverage over the incidence angle range 31 to 47 degrees. RADARSAT-2 can operate in single and dual polarisation for this beam mode. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options ScanSAR Narrow SCN, SCF, SCS 20 25 x 25 81 - 38 x 40 - 70 300 x 300 20 - 46 2 x 2 Single Co or Cross: HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual: HH + HV or VV + VH ScanSAR Wide Beam Mode provides coverage of a ground swath approximately triple the width of the Wide Swath Beam Mode swaths. Two swath positions with different combinations of physical beams can be used: SCWA, which uses physical beams W1, W2, W3, and S7, and SCWB, which uses physical beams W1, W2, S5 and S6. The SCWA combination allows imaging of a swath of more than 500 km covering an incidence angle range of 20 to 49 degrees. The SCWB combination allows imaging of a swath of more than 450 km covering the incidence angle. Polarisation can be single and dual. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options ScanSAR Wide SCW, SCF, SCS 100 50 x 50 163 - 73 x 78 - 106 500 x 500 20 - 49 4 x 2 Single Co or Cross: HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual: HH + HV or VV + VH These are the different products : SLC (Single Look Complex): Amplitude and phase information is preserved. Data is in slant range. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track SGF (Path Image): Data is converted to ground range and may be multi-look processed. Scene is oriented in direction of orbit path. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track. SGX (Path Image Plus): Same as SGF except processed with refined pixel spacing as needed to fully encompass the image data bandwidths. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track SSG(Map Image): Image is geocorrected to a map projection. SPG (Precision Map Image): Image is geocorrected to a map projection. Ground control points (GCP) are used to improve positional accuracy. SCN(ScanSAR Narrow)/SCF(ScanSAR Wide) : ScanSAR Narrow/Wide beam mode product with original processing options and metadata fields (for backwards compatibility only). Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track SCF (ScanSAR Fine): ScanSAR product equivalent to SGF with additional processing options and metadata fields. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track SCS(ScanSAR Sampled) : Same as SCF except with finer sampling. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track. Spatial coverage: Check the spatial coverage of the collection on a map available on the Third Party Missions Dissemination Service.
News - Data Release news
RADARSAT data on demand
In the framework of the Earthnet programme, ESA is distributing RADARSAT data on-demand to support EO science and research activities.
Tools - Analysis
ESA PDGS Jupyter Notebook
A series of Jupyter Notebooks are available, in order to understand how to exploit the API that provides the data access service for different types of datasets included in the ESA PDGS datacube.
News - General News
ESA's new DataCube service is now available
ESA is pleased to announce the deployment of a new service, called ESA PDGS-DataCube, enabling multi-temporal and pixel-based access to a subset of the data available in the European Space Agency dissemination services.
News - General News
ESA’s Earth Observation Catalogue and its services
EO-CAT is the EO Catalogue tool allowing users to search ESA and Third Party Mission collections.