NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
UAVSAR Instrument: Current Operations and Planned UpgradesThe Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) instrument is a pod-based Lband polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR), specifically designed to acquire airborne repeat track SAR data for differential interferometric measurements. This instrument is currently installed on the NASA Gulfstream- III (G-III) aircraft with precision real-time Global Positioning System (GPS) and a sensor-controlled flight management system for precision repeat-pass data acquisitions. UAVSAR has conducted engineering and preliminary science data flights since October 2007 on the G-III. We are porting the radar to the Global Hawk Unmanned Airborne Vehicle (UAV) to enable long duration/long range data campaigns. We plan to install two radar pods (each with its own active array antenna) under the wings of the Global Hawk to enable the generation of precision topographic maps and single pass polarimetric-interferometry (SPI) providing vertical structure of ice and vegetation. Global Hawk's range of ~ 8000 nm will enable regional surveys with far fewer sorties as well as measurements of remote locations without the need for long and complicated deployments. We are also developing P-band polarimetry and Ka-band single-pass interferometry capabilities on UAVSAR by replacing the radar antenna and front-end electronics to operate at these
Document ID
20150007167
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Lou, Yunling
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Hensley, Scott
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Chao, Roger
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Chapin, Elaine
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Heavy, Brandon
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Jones, Cathleen
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Miller, Timothy
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Naftel, Chris
(NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Edwards, CA, United States)
Fratello, David
(NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Edwards, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
May 1, 2015
Publication Date
June 21, 2011
Subject Category
Instrumentation And Photography
Communications And Radar
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Uninhabited Airborne Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR)
reconfigurable design
imaging radar instrument

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available