Monday, December 21, 2009

ScanEx R&D Center starts to sell RADARSAT-2 Satellite Data Products

ScanEx Research & Development Center (“ScanEx”) is now an official distributor of synthetic aperture radar data products from the Canadian RADARSAT-2 satellite, as reported. A distribution agreement between MDA Geospatial Services Inc. (“MDA GSI”), operator of the RADARSAT-2 satellite, and ScanEx was signed in Moscow on December 7, 2009 upon completion of the 4th International Conference “Earth from Space – the Most Effective Solutions”.

Co-operation between ScanEx and MDA GSI began in 2004 when a license agreement for RADARSAT-1 data reception and distribution in Russia and the CIS countries was signed. The RADARSAT-1 satellite is operated by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and MDA GSI has worldwide distribution rights. RADARSAT-1 data is downlinked directly to ScanEx’s UniScan network reception stations that have been certified by CSA and MDA GSI, and deployed in Russia (7 stations) and Kazakhstan (2 stations).

In Russia, RADARSAT-1 data is used primarily to provide operational satellite-based maritime and flood monitoring services, using proprietary ScanNet technology. Examples of RADARSAT-1 satellite products are shown for demonstration purposes on the web-portal “Kosmosnimki – the Seas of Russia” (http://ocean.kosmosnimki.ru/). This web-portal was opened in early December 2009 to demonstrate maritime oil pollution monitoring, ice situation and water-borne navigation status within the Russian seas using remote sensing satellites.

The application of RADARSAT-2 images will expand the possibilities of radar satellite monitoring of natural and man-made objects and phenomena. Primary areas of RADARSAT-2 data applications include maritime monitoring, forestry and agriculture, geology, cartography, operational monitoring during emergencies, monitoring of surface displacements of the Earth and objects on it using interferometric image processing. The RADARSAT-2 satellite has all 7 imaging modes available from RADARSAT-1 plus 5 more imaging modes. In addition it has 4 polarization types compared only 1 on RADARSAT-1.

At the 4th International Conference “Earth from Space – the Most Effective Solutions”, held in Moscow from December 1-3, MDA Sales Director Tom Hughes spoke about the unique advantages of the RADARSAT-2 satellite which provides the longest radar operation per orbit (28 minutes) and the largest swath width per scene (500 km) of all radar satellites currently in operation.

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