Long name | RADARSAT Constellation |
Short name | RCM |
Sensor type | Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) |
Platform | RADARSAT Constellation |
Frequency | 5.405 GHz |
Band (wavelength) | C (5.5 centimeters) |
Polarization | RH, RV (compact polarimetric), HH, HV, VH, VV (fully polarimetric) |
Key file name (use to open data set) | manifest.safe |
Supported file name extensions | manifest.safe, *.tif, *.xml, *.png, *.html |
Data distributor | |
Sections |
Data product name and description |
Data product name and description
RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) is a constellation of three C-band synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellites.
RCM supports a wide variety of imaging modes. The modes range from wide-area surveillance with 500-kilometer imaging swaths to spotlight modes with resolution of 1 meter in azimuth and 3 meters in range.
Each supported acquisition mode is described in the following tables.
Mode | Swath width (km) | Resolution (range x azimuth, m)* | Polarization | Description/notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Spotlight |
20 | 1.0 x 1.0 | Single (HH or HV or VH or VV) |
Spotlight |
Very-High Resolution, 3 meters |
20 | 1.9 x 1.8 | Single (HH or HV or VH or VV) |
Stripmap |
High Resolution, 5 meters |
30 | ≈ 3.5 x 2.5 | Single (HH or HV or VH or VV) |
Stripmap |
Quad-Polarization |
20 | ≈ 6.5 x 2.9 | Quad (HH and HV and VH and VV) | Stripmap NESZ: -24dB |
Medium Resolution, 16 meters |
30 | ≈ 11.3 x 2.5 | Single (HH or HV or VH or VV) |
Stripmap |
Medium Resolution, 30 meters [SC30] | 125 | ≈ 12.5 x 12.5 (GRD) | Single (HH or HV or VH or VV) |
ScanSAR |
Medium Resolution, 50 meters |
350 | ≈ 20 x 20 (GRD) | Single (HH or HV or VH or VV) |
ScanSAR |
Low Noise |
350 | ≈ 40 x 40 (GRD) | Single (HH or HV or VH or VV) |
ScanSAR |
Low Resolution, 100 meters |
500 | ≈ 40.0 x 40.0 (GRD) | Single (HH or HV or VH or VV) |
ScanSAR |
Ship Detection |
Variable | Variable | Single (HH or HV or VH or VV) |
ScanSAR |
* Resolution is always single-look complex (SLC) unless noted otherwise.
The RCM image-product types are as described in the following table.
Processing level | Acquisition mode | Description/notes |
---|---|---|
SLC | [SCSD], [FSL], [3M], [5M], [16M], [SC30], [SC50], [SCLN], [SC100], [QP] | Georeferenced. Single look complex data in slant range. |
GRC | [3M], [5M], [16M], [QP] | Georeferenced. Multilook complex data in ground range. |
GRD | [SCSD], [FSL], [3M], [5M], [16M], [SC30], [SC50], [SCLN], [SC100], [QP] | Georeferenced. Multilook detected data in ground range. |
GCC | [3M], [5M], [16M], [QP] | Geocoded to a map projection. Complex data. Data commonly projected to Universal Transverse Mercator Projection (UTM) or Universal Polar Stereographic (UPS) north of 84N or south of 80S. |
GCD | [FSL], [3M], [5M], [16M], [SC30], [SC50], [SCLN], [SC100], [QP] | Geocoded to a map projection. Detected data. |
MLC | [SCSD], [SC30], [SC50], [SCLN], [SC100] | Multi-Look slant range georeferenced Complex data. |
SLC represents a SLant range, georeferenced Complex product.
It is equivalent to a single-look complex product for RADARSAT-1 or RADARSAT-2).
GRD or GRC represent GRound range, georeferenced, Detected or Complex products.
GRD is equivalent to an SGX, SCN, or SCW product for RADARSAT-1 or RADARSAT-2.
GCD or GCC represent GeoCoded Detected or Complex products.
GCD is equivalent to an SSG or SPG product for RADARSAT-1 or RADARSAT-2.
MLC represent Multi-Look slant range Complex products.It is for dual Co-/Cross-Polarization1 or Compact Polarization which is a spatially averaged version of the SLC product condensed to a single multi-burst image of the covariance matrix elements. The covariance matrix elements consist of two real diagonal elements |xH|2 and |xV|2, and a complex off-diagonal element xH*conj(xV) where x is either Circular, H or V depending on the SLC product polarization setting and conj denotes the complex conjugate.
The manifest file in an RCM image product complies with the SAFE Core specification […] and also complies with the recommendation for mission specialization […] to be compatible with the Sentinel-1 product. The manifest file applies to all RCM image products. Each RCM image product contains one manifest file.
You can open an RCM data set by selecting the manifest.safe file. You can also import the key file to a PCIDSK (.pix). For optimal processing, use the PCIDSK format.
If you are using a command-line application, specify the file name with a calibration type; for example:
../RCM2_OKCSM-TARG-35-0_PKPGS_TD_PR_GenIm_QP0_PT_1_QP26_20160417_011157_HH_VV_HV_VH_SLC/manifest.safe:Calibration Type:Sigma
When opening an RCM data set, the files read by GDB are as described in the following table.
File name | Format | Required | Description |
---|---|---|---|
manifest.safe | XML | Yes | Key file name. Use to open data set. |
<productId>_<polId>_<burstId>.tif | GeoTIFF | Yes | Image data (imagery folder). <productId> corresponds to the product ID <polId> corresponds to the polarization ID <burstId> corresponds to the image-burst number starting from zero and incrementing by one from each burst to the next in order of acquisition |
product.xml | XML | Yes | Product metadata (metadata folder). |
lutSigma_<polId>.xml |
XML | Yes | Calibration lookup tables (metadata/calibration folder). |
noiseLevels_<polId>.xml | XML | Yes | Noise file (metadata/calibration folder). |
incidenceAngles.xml | XML | Yes | Incidence angles file. |
productOverview.tif |
TIFF or PNG | Optional | Thumbnail file. |
Returned data for supported format
The following table describes the data structure after it is opened by GDB.
Data product | Data returned | Details |
---|---|---|
SLant range georeferenced complex (SLC) |
1 x [C16S] raster channel (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought.
ScanSAR tiled products ([SC30], [SC50], [SCLN], [SC100]) are automatically assembled in raster channels when opened or ingested. |
SLant range georeferenced complex (SLC) |
2 x [C16S] raster channels (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought.
ScanSAR tiled products ([SC30], [SC50], [SCLN], [SC100]) are automatically assembled in raster channels when opened or ingested. |
SLant range georeferenced complex (SLC) |
4 x [C16S] raster channels (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought. |
Ground range georeferenced detected (GRD) |
1 x [16U] raster channel (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought. |
Ground range georeferenced detected (GRD) |
2 x [16U] raster channels (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought.
Data not suitable for compact polarimetry analysis (requires complex data). |
Ground range georeferenced detected (GRD) |
4 x [16U] raster channels (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought.
Data not suitable for compact polarimetry analysis (requires complex data). |
Geocoded complex (GCC) |
1 x [C16S] raster channel (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought. |
Geocoded complex (GCC) |
2 x [C16S] raster channel (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought. |
Geocoded complex (GCC) |
4 x [C16S] raster channels(uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought. |
Geocoded detected (GCD) |
1 x [16U] raster channel (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought. |
Geocoded detected (GCD) |
2 x [16U] raster channels (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought.
Data not suitable for compact polarimetry analysis (requires complex data). |
Geocoded detected (GCD) |
4 x [16U] raster channels (uncalibrated) |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought.
Data not suitable for compact polarimetry analysis (requires complex data). |
Multi-Look slant range georeferenced Complex (MLC) |
2 x [16U] detected channels |
Data can be calibrated in sigma, gamma, or beta nought. |
RADARSAT Constellation Mission, Image Product Format Definition. MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. RCM-SP-53-0419. Issue 2/3: March 17, 2017
RADARSAT Constellation Mission, Surveillance and Intelligence. MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.
RADARSAT CONSTELLATION MISSION PRODUCT SPECIFICATION. Prepared for: Canadian Space Agency. Prepared by: MDA Systems Ltd.
For more information, go to: mdacorporation.com
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