• TSX

TerraSAR-X

TerraSAR-X (TSX) is an X-band satellite launched by the German Space Agency (DLR). The DLR also launched a second nearly identical satellite called TanDEM-X (TDX) into the same orbit as TSX. The two satellites are now flying in formation separated by a few hundred meters and they are starting to use the two satellites to acquire bi-static InSAR data where one satellite transmits and both receive the data to obtain simultaneous SAR images with a moderate baseline for topographic mapping (similar to SRTM). The two satellites are also being used to acquire the regular mono-static or single-satellite images.

Processing TSX data

The DLR (and commercial data provider Infoterra) only provide TSX and TDX data as SLC or multi-looked products. They do not distribute raw data. The DLR provides the SLC images in a format called COSAR (see Raw Formats page for more details). An open source (GPL v2) license program called "cosar" has been uploaded here that can read the cosar format and write out a plain binary image.

Scripts for ingesting TSX and TDX mono-static data acquired in Stripmap mode into ROI_PAC (including the cosar program) posted here. The "make_tsx_slc.csh" script calls other scripts and programs to convert the TSX data to a {$date.slc} image file with associated {$date.slc.rsc} metadata. Note that a number of other changes to the ROI_pac "process_2pass.pl" and other scripts and programs may be necessary to process TSX data because processing has to start from SLCs and TSX SLC images are typically wider than other SAR images. These changes will be included in the ROI_pac v3.1 release soon.

Access to TSX data

There are 3 ways to gain access to TSX data. One way is to write a science data proposal to DLR and purchase the data directly from them. The data costs 200 euros per scene.

Another way is to register at the website, and then write a proposal for no cost access to data from the DRA-2010 (Dual Receiver Antenna) campaign. More information about this campaign is available in this pdf.

WInSAR members have another way to access data, subject to the following rules from the data provider (DLR: the German Space Agency)

• A separate proposal is required for each and every research case (e.g Haiti earthquake). A license will be provided for each separate proposal.
• For each proposal one PI needs to act as responsible person.
• The PI can add further Co-Is at any time. Accordingly an update of both the signed user license and the proposal entries in the TerraSAR-X Science Service System is required.
• The TerraSAR-X data can be stored in the WInSAR archive for data sharing within the individual teams (proposal specific). A password-protected access is required.
• A re-use of those data for other research purposes is not possible. This requires a new proposal including a re-ordering from the DLR-archive.
• Metadata (date, track and frames of SAR acquisitions) are stored at WInSAR for the membership to know who has what data
• WinSAR researchers are encouraged to submit data proposals in order to acquire acquisitions. Background acquisitions can be long swaths and not only scenes. InSAR has been given a quota of 1000 scenes per year, and the WInSAR EC in cooperation with UNAVCO have prioritized these acquisitions to fit within the quota. PIs will not be required to pay for these acquisitions as long as data remain in the archive. If PIs request data, he/she will be charged with the standard 200 euros per scene. At the moment, WInSAR does not have funds to pay for these data purchases.