Starting on August 14, 2012 ScanEx RDC accepts requests for new images acquired from COSMO-SkyMed satellites. Traditionally, ScanEx finds broad application for RADARSAT-1, RADARSAT-2, TerraSAR-X radar images in its practices. The radar data product line now is replenished with images from four COSMO-SkyMed satellite with the spatial resolution up to 1 m.
This will enable regardless of the day time and weather conditions to conduct interferometric imagery and to resolve traditional for radar data NRT tasks: ice conditions, sea oil pollution and flash and seasonal floods monitoring.
It became possible to expand applications using COSMO-SkyMed data due to respective agreements between the Russian ScanEx Research & Development Center and the Italian e-GEOS company – the RS satellites Operator. This agreement entitles the distribution of data around the world, except for certain organizations and countries of Asia and Middle East.
High imaging operability is ensured due to the possibility to make up to 4 imaging tasks per day. The system of COSMO-SkyMed satellites enables to take images of any territory of the Earth minimum twice in a day. The total imaging system response time (from request submission to any AOI imaging) may be less than 18 hours.
Requests for AOIs imaging are accepted by e-mail disaster@scanex.ru or by phone: +7(495) 739-73-85.
Cooperation between ScanEx RDC and e-GEOS can be considerably extended in the near future. Earlier the companies reached a principal agreement, according to which ScanEx RDC may upgrade the existing and new UniScan™ stations with terminals for direct COSMO-SkyMed data reception. ScanEx specialists have already worked out technical issues of outfitting the terminals and UniScan stations and have successfully tested data reception from COSMO-SkyMed space satellites. Achieved agreements on data distribution will expedite the direct data reception technology implementation – with the start of data reception from these Italian satellites in near real-time mode the users in Russia and CIS will be able to handle radar data even quicker and at lower price.
Back in 2009 ScanEx specialists for the first time in Russia tested the possibility of real-time COSMO-SkyMed data application for monitoring sites in state of emergency. In December 2009 Italian satellites’ radar data were successfully used to assess "Nevsky express" train accident site condition. COSMO-SkyMed data will now become available for all interested persons and organizations.