IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2014 - 57

In support of disaster management, RADARSAT-1
timely and critical data have been utilized for floods, oil
spills and hurricanes monitoring. Since October 2000,
RADARSAT-1 has been contributing its data to the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters to assist
disaster relief and emergency rescue efforts.
RADARSAT-1 data have also been used extensively by
scientists and commercial users in the fields of agriculture, cartography, forestry, ice studies, oceanography, and
mineral and oil exploration [2].
3. RADARSAT-2
Canada's world leadership position in space-borne SAR systems was maintained with RADARSAT-2, Canada's commercial SAR satellite, launched in December 2007. RADARSAT-2 represented a change in the business model to reduce
the cost for the Canadian Government and to stimulate the
commercialization. The Canadian Government signed an
agreement to pre-purchase data for the government utilization and left the ownership and the operation of the satellite
and ground segment to MacDonald Dettwiler, and the management of the government data allocation to the Canadian
Space Agency, RADARSAT-2 is placed on the same orbit
than RADARSAT-1 with a delay of 30 minutes. Compared
to RADARSAT-1, the satellite offers significant technical
advancements such as 3 m high-resolution imaging, flexibility in selection of polarization, left and right-looking
imaging options, superior data storage and more precise
measurements of spacecraft position and attitude. RADARSAT-2 includes all RADARSAT-1 imaging modes, as well as
multiple polarization modes (including a fully polarimetric
mode), 3 m ultra fine mode and 1 m spotlight mode.
Designed to operate until the end of 2014, RADARSAT-2
ensures the continuity of the RADARSAT program, while
offering powerful new capabilities and benefits to the users
in the fields of ice monitoring, disaster management, agriculture, forestry, cartography, geology and hydrology [3].
During the last Polar Year in 2007-2008 RADARSAT-2
data were used to create a new mosaic of Antarctica. The
data acquired by RADARSAT-2, combined to Envisat and
ALOS data using NASA technologies, have contributed
to a landmark discovery by the University of California
researchers under the form of unique terrain features that
indicate the direction and velocity of ice in Antarctica [4].
4. THE APPLICATION PROGRAM
The main justification in building Earth Observation satellites and its supporting infrastructures is to generate data that
will be transformed into information products and services.
Prior to the launch of the RADARSAT-1 satellite the Canadian Center for Remote Sensing lead the RDDP (Radar Data
Development Program), a comprehensive R&D programs
aimed at Canadian scientists and industry to develop the
sciences and knowledge that would lead to the development
of effective use of data. In 1994, the Canadian government
approved new funding for applications development projune 2014

ieee Geoscience and remote sensing magazine

FIGuRE 1. RADARSAT-1 satellite (Copyright Government of Canada).

grams and user training programs to ensure that Canada
will be able to use satellite data to meet national needs for
resource management, surveillance and environmental
monitoring and to develop successful Canadian value-added
remote sensing industry. This investment was used to create four programs EOPPP (Earth Observation Pilot Projects
Program), RUDP (RADARSAT User Development Program),
EODS (Earth Observation Data Set) and UETI (User Education Training Initiative) and lasted until 2000. In preparation
for the RADARSAT-2 mission, the CSA created two Earth
Observation applications programs within its technology
and hardware-oriented environment, Earth Observation
Applications Development Program (EOADP) in year 2000
and Government Related Initiative Program (GRIP) in 2002.
EOADP invests in the private sector, which is encouraged
to create partnerships with potential end-users, including
Government departments as well as with research and nonprofit organizations such as universities. EOADP is designed
to exploit and stimulate, through the development of applications, the full potential of RADARSAT data. GRIP invests
in and provides limited technical support for projects led
by Government departments and, in so doing, fosters their
development of EO applications that have a strong potential
to increase the value of government services. A recent noticeable application SARWind, which measure sea winds with
RADARSAT-2 data was applied to cyclone morphology. [5]
The combination of both EOADP and GRIP strategy has
contributed in the strengthening of the Canadian EO industry by working with EO companies and Government departments to develop and commercialize EO applications, products and services. Value added companies have successfully
commercialized their EO applications to end-users and an

FIGuRE 2. RADARSAT-2 satellite (Copyright MacDonald Dettwiler).

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2014