Instrument: UAVSAR Calibration

The UAVSAR radar requires careful calibration in order to produce image brightnesses and polarimetric phases that are accurate enough to derive physically meaningful products. In addition, a very good knowledge of the orientation and position of the radar while in flight is necessary in order to optimally process repeat-pass interferometry data.

Therefore, there are three sources of information crucial to the calibration of the UAVSAR:

• Pre-flight testing of the radar (such as measurement of the antenna pattern)
• Imagery of the Rosamond Calibration Array
• The motion information acquired during each flight.