Radarsat Processing

This image of southwestern England was created from RADARSAT standard beam data using Vexcel's Focus 3D SAR Processor.

Boulder, CO - Vexcel Corporation today announced its contract with Matra Systemes & Information, a Subsidiary of EADS Group in France, to provide the US Air Force with RADARSAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data processing for the Eagle Vision III & IV ground stations. The software package includes Vexcel's SAR Processor, Focus!" and ScanSAR processor, Swath!".

Eagle Vision ground stations are mobile commercial satellite imagery receiving and processing systems. These portable ground stations are designed to provide timely acquisition of broad area imagery particularly in national emergency situations. By employing commercial satellites, the Air Force is able to acquire accurate, up-to-date image maps. Eagle Vision III and Eagle Vision IV each will be equipped with a four-processor Compaq� Alpha Server�.

Vexcel's Focus SAR Processor, a key component of the Eagle Vision stations, ingests raw SAR data and produces Level One data, which is suitable for interferometry or other image exploitation. The Swath processor for the RADARSAT ScanSAR multi-beam modes, processes ScanSAR data and uses specialized algorithms to reduce the effects of scalloping and radiometric imbalance in the image. "Image maps are one of the most important sources of information in modern military operations, so processing speed is key," says Henry Frick, Director of Satellite Ground Systems at Vexcel Corporation. "The processors for the new Eagle Vision stations are now able to produce a RADARSAT image in under five minutes."

Vexcel Corporation of Boulder, Colorado, USA is an internationally recognized remote sensing company. The company provides engineering services, hardware, and software in the areas of Remote Sensing Ground Systems, Radar (SAR) Technologies, and Aerial and Close-Range Photogrammetry. Vexcel was founded in 1985. The Vexcel Swath ScanSAR processor was designed for use with RADARSAT data and will also be upgraded for use with ALOS/PALSAR and ENVISAT/ASAR. In addition to processing for RADARSAT, the Focus SAR Processor is also compatible with ERS, and JERS satellites and will be upgraded for compatibility with the upcoming ALOS/PALSAR and ENVISAT/ASAR satellites.