A new report evaluates the quality of synthetic aperture radar data from the Umbra satellite constellation, assessing its suitability for scientific research and commercial applications that require high-resolution imaging of the Earth's surface.
Synthetic aperture radar is a form of imaging that uses radio waves rather than visible light, allowing it to see through cloud cover and to operate at night. The Umbra constellation, which is operated by a US-based company, provides SAR data at resolutions that were previously available only from government-operated satellites.
The report, which was commissioned by the UK Space Agency and conducted by researchers at several British universities, finds that the Umbra data is of high quality and is suitable for a wide range of applications, including monitoring deforestation, assessing flood damage, tracking maritime activity and supporting disaster response. The report also identifies areas where the data could be improved, including the consistency of calibration between different satellites in the constellation.
The UK Space Agency said the report would inform its decisions about the acquisition of satellite data for scientific and operational purposes and would contribute to the development of the UK's domestic Earth observation capability.
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