Synthetic Aperture Radar

The CSL activities in the field of SAR remote sensing and processing started in 1989 with a series of “Advanced Signal Reconstruction Techniques” ESA TRP projects, that lead to the development of frequency-domain SAR processors capable of reconstructing Stripmap and ScanSAR data. In parallel, under financing by the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo) and ESA (DUP programme), SAR interferometry, polarimetry, and polarimetric interferometry were studied and implemented.

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ollaborations with various research teams took place in such various fields as agronomy, tectonics, vulcanology, glaciology, terrain subsidence, irrigation monitoring,etc. Technology transfers were made to the software industry (Spacebel), as well as through the creation of a spin-off (KeyObs). A quantum leap was accomplished through collaboration with CONAE, under an Argentina-Belgium bilateral agreement, for the delivery of Stripmap/TopSAR processor and InSAR/PolSAR/PolInSAR toolboxes for the SAOCOM mission. We were active participants in the Science Expert Committee of the SAOCOM-CS mission. More than 40 projects have been carried on by the Signal Processing Laboratory since its creation in 1989.

The CSL activities in the field of SAR remote sensing are articulated on the following pillars:

• R&D/science : This bullet encompasses upstream developments in the fields of SAR focusing and post-processing (InSAR, PolSAR, PolInSAR and so forth), mission concepts, and scientific support and interactions with various research teams. These activities logically lead to :
• Applications : Typical examples are topographic mapping, terrain displacement monitoring, and forest height estimates.
• Valorization : CSL is keen to make its expertise available to the economic world via technology transfer. This action is often accompanied with
• Training : Generic and specific training on remote sensing is offered (under the coordination of Dr. C. Barbier) in both academic and B2B contexts. As an example, CSL participated in an INTERREG project (TransNetAero) by setting up a one-week Certification Course on Space Technologies for Earth Observation by Micro-Satellites and contributing to a European Aerospace Master, both certified by Stanbeis University (Berlin). Later on, CSL was the Belgian academic partner in the EU-funded FabSpace 2.0 project, aiming at developing active ideation and entrepreneurship in the field of the exploitation of space-based Earth observation images and data.