IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2021 - 122

(a)
(b)
FIGURE 1. The radar instrumentation for ice monitoring. (a) Bistatic radar sounders deployed
in Greenland. (b) An airborne ground-penetrating radar antenna. (Photos courtesy of Prof.
Dustin Schroeder, Stanford University, USA.)
ACTIVE MICROWAVE: RADAR AND
SAR WORKING GROUP
The goal of the Active Microwave: Radar and Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR) Working Group is to promote the
advancement of active microwave remote sensing instruments
and instrument technology (Figure 1). It is particularly
interested in
◗ the development of next-generation radar technologies
that capitalize on new platforms, e.g., small satellites or
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
◗ new observing approaches, e.g., distributed, multifrequency,
and bistatic/multistatic SAR; constellations; and
short-repeat radars
◗ new hardware, e.g., software-defined radios or gallium
nitride
◗ new innovative processing techniques, e.g., digital
beam-forming; multiple-input, multiple-output
SAR; and the spaceborne ground-moving target
indicator.
PASSIVE MICROWAVE:
RADIOMETER WORKING GROUP
The Passive Microwave: Radiometer
Working Group addresses issues related
to passive remote sensing in the microwave,
millimeter-wave, and submillimeter-wave
portions of the electromagnetic
spectrum. These include all aspect
of this area of remote sensing technology
and, in particular, the following:
◗ trends in instrumentation and
new instrument and calibration
concepts, e.g., digital radiometers,
vicarious calibration, noise diodes,
and cold field-effect transistor calibration
targets
◗ specific technology challenges,
e.g., radio-frequency interference
◗ disruptive technologies for passive microwave observations,
e.g., synthetic thinned aperture
◗ technology push, e.g., microwave integrated circuit
(MIC)/massive MIC technology
◗ market pull from both scientific needs and commercial
applications.
ACTIVE OPTICAL AND LIDAR WORKING GROUP
The objective of the Active Optical and Lidar Working Group
is to address the challenges related to active optical remote
sensing as well as to promote the advancement of active optical
and lidar remote sensing instruments not only for ground
but also for airborne and satellite applications (Figure 2).
Some focal areas that summarize the key topics for the working
group are
◗ long-life/high-power ultraviolet lasers and optics, especially
in relation to contamination and optical damage
◗ research to improve the reliability of lasers and highpower
optics operated in a vacuum
◗ space-qualification of higher-efficiency lasers and optics,
such as fiber lasers and amplifiers
◗ general power scaling of space-qualified lasers with a
focus on improved efficiency and thermal tolerances,
including radiation hardening
◗ improved high-gain, low-dark-noise, and low-noiseequivalent-power
space qualified/qualifiable arrays and
detectors at all wavelengths, particularly in the intermediate-range
bandwidth.
FIGURE 2. A photonic SAR lab demonstrator. (Photo courtesy of
Airbus Defense and Space Ltd., Portsmouth, U.K.)
122
PASSIVE OPTICAL WORKING GROUP
The Passive Optical Working Group addresses issues related
to passive remote sensing in the ultraviolet through
far-infrared range. These include all aspect of this area
of remote sensing technology and, in particular, the
following:
◗ multimodal optical instrumentation, e.g., software-configured
instruments
◗ innovative detector technology
IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE JUNE 2021
IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2021
