MetaSAR radar sensing product

MetaSAR is a family of compact airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payloads from MetaSensing, a multi-channel, multi-frequency radar sensor for small aircraft and UAVs. The family is offered in P, L, C and X bands, and the maker states that the sensor can be configured for a wide range of frequencies from P-band up to Ka-band.

The radar is built for remote sensing from the air. MetaSensing describes it as a compact unit with low power consumption, which makes it suitable for small aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. The payload is made up of a radar electronics unit, a pair of dual-polarimetric flat-panel antennas and mounting fixtures made for each aircraft, and the swath size and resolution can be adapted to the mission. All bands are described as working in all weather and in day and night conditions, which is the main reason to choose radar over optical sensors for mapping and monitoring.

Each band suits different targets. The P-band version uses VHF/UHF and long wavelengths to penetrate forest canopy, supporting terrain models under dense vegetation, biomass mapping, pipeline monitoring and foliage and sand penetration. The L-band version penetrates vegetation and soil and is used for vegetation and biomass, soil moisture, glacier and permafrost analysis and leak detection. The C-band version offers up to 0.5 m ground resolution and dual-linear polarisation (HH/VV) for vegetation, ocean monitoring, agriculture, subsidence and glaciers. The X-band version has dual-polarimetric antennas and supports Stripmap, Spotlight and Wide Swath modes, with fully polarimetric capability for land cover classification, target recognition and coherent change detection.

The maker lists several acquisition and processing techniques: interferometry across and along the flight track, in one pass or repeated passes, and full polarimetry. In X-band, single-pass interferometry in both directions supports terrain mapping and moving-target detection.

For integration, the radar records SAR data synchronised with navigation data from a GNSS/INS system. Data are processed with MetaSAR-PRO, the maker's SAR processing software, which produces georeferenced GeoTIFF imagery that can be loaded into standard GIS software. The P-band unit uses a portable enclosure that can be adapted to various aircraft.

Typical applications are digital surface and terrain model generation, land cover and vegetation analysis, infrastructure and corridor monitoring, coastal and maritime surveillance, agriculture, disaster response, ground-movement monitoring and change detection.