EXAMPLES FOR THE APPLICATION OF RADAR TO REMOTE-SENSING VIA SATELLITE

Europe, the United States of America, Canada and Japan are planning future space missions which will carry Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems as key sensors for remote sensing purposes. These systems are dedicated to application areas which cover nearly all Earth sciences from oceanography to agriculture. This paper introduces the measurement principles. The main emphasis is put on the usefulness and limitations of these techniques. Examples from airborne measurements as well as space-borne missions much as SEASAT and SIR-A (Shuttle Imaging Radar) are presented.