RADARSAT processing system at ASF

RADARSAT is a Canadian polar orbiting remote sensing satellite launched in November 1995. Its only instrument is a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that is capable of operating in a number of imaging modes, including the first operational ScanSAR in space. As one of the data reception, processing, and archive facilities for RADARSAT data, the Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) has responded to its science users by establishing a RADARSAT processing system to handle the data processing of all RADARSAT modes. This paper outlines the ASF RADARSAT data processing requirements as driven by the science users and describes the RADARSAT processing system design and implementation approach to meet the challenge of providing ASF with an integrated operational SAR image production facility. Design and implementation attributes that facilitate system growth in handling future SAR missions such as Envisat and HIROS are also addressed