JERS-1 NEWSLETTER No.1

CONTENTS

1. MDR Status
2. Global Forest Mapping Program Status
3. Observation Status
4. Research Invitation Program Status
5. SAR Interferometry Workshop
6. GRFM/InSAR PI List

This is the first newsletter of the JERS-1 Science Program. It will be issued periodically and will focus on current affairs associated with the program. If you have any comments or questions, please send your e-mail to the following address:

1. MDR Status

Mission data recorder, MDR, was long used for acquiring the worldwide L band SAR data and OPS data. Owing to the MDR, more than 400,000 SAR images and 300,000 OPS images have been acquired by now. Since July 1997, MDR data became sometimes too difficult to be processed. NASDA and JAROS jointly evaluated the MDR's recording and reproducing capabilities, and finally concluded that after Oct. 1997, MDR has become out of use due to the natural and temporal degradation of the functions.

NASDA will modify the SAR data processor so that the noises caused by the degradation can be taken away. The new software may include two functions, checking the synchronization loss conditions, and high pass filtering for the raw data. The new software is now under development and scheduled to be ready for operation on April 1998.

2. Global Forest Mapping Program Status

a. GRFM Data CD-ROMs

The first data distribution for the Global Forest Mapping Program GRFM project has just recently been completed. This first volume, AM-2, comprises the low water dataset for South America and includes the NASDA mosaic on a 2 CD-ROM set. NASDA will be distributing copies of the CD to the PI team in April. If you have ideas for organizations which would be interested in receiving CD-ROM copies, please contact us before 1 April, 1998.

1. South and Central America
   Low water: March 1998
   High water: TBD
2. Central and West Africa
   Low water: TBD
   High water: TBD
3. Southeast Asia and Pacific: TBD
4. GBFM: TBD

b. GRFM/GBFM/InSAR PI Meeting

We held the second PI meeting on 4-7 November 1997 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This meeting consisted of status reports from the GRFM partner organizations, interim PI research reports for the GRFM and InSAR programs, and the GBFM Kickoff meeting. We confirmed the status reports and decided the role of the GBFM cooperative organization. About 40 participants had an active discussion in this meeting.
We will hold the next PI meeting at JRC in November, 1998.

The second PI meeting summary is as follows.

GRFM/GBFM/InSAR PI Meeting Summary

• Tuesday, 4 November
  180-101
1. PI Meeting Objectives and Major Topics
2. GRFM overview/Program Current Status/MOUs
3. MDR Status and Possible Corrections
4. JPL, JRC GRFM Current Status
5. Posters/JERS-1 Program CD-ROM
   [VonKarmen]
6. Digital Theater - NASDA, JPL, JRC, MITI/ERSDAC Imagery examples
7. Movie
8. JPL Tour - Mars Pathfinder, Ion Engine, SCC Power Wall, SRTM
• Wednesday, 5 November
  180-101
1. NASDA, JPL, JRC, MITI/ERSDAC Mosaicking
2. NASDA, ASF Data Processing
3. Data Ordering and Distribution from NASDA
4. GRFM PI Presentations1
   [Caltech Athenaeum]
5. Reception - offsite
• Thursday, 6 November
  180-101
1. GRFM PI Presentations2
2. InSAR Introduction/NASDA Current Status
3. InSAR PI Presentations
4. GRFM/GBFM Data Working Group
   [180-Conference Room]
5. GBFM Working Group - offsite -1-2 reps from JRC, JPL, NASDA, ASF, SSC
• Friday, 7 November
  180-101
1. GBFM overview/Program Current Status
2. Current GBFM Data Acquisition Schedule
3. GBFM Proposal
4. GBFM Discussion1
5. GRFM/GBFM Data CD-ROM Schedule
6. GRFM/GBFM/InSAR Conference Schedule
7. GBFM Discussion2

1. Canadian North America and Alaska
   Raw Data Processing: ASF
   Mosaic: JPL
   Science Node: JPL
   
   
2. Eastern /Western Siberia
   Raw data Processing: NASDA (ASF)
   Mosaic: JRC
   Science Node: JRC/NASDA
   
   
3. Northern Europe
   Raw Data Processing: NASDA (for PI), TSS (for PI)
   Mosaic: NASDA
   Science Node: SNSB (SSC)
   
   
   

c. Ground Stations / MOUs

We are still working on several initiatives to bring more ground stations online for direct JERS-1 data acquisitions for both the GRFM multi-temporal sites as well as for the GBFM's mosaicking and future PI research observations.

With respect to the GBFM, the new MOU between NASDA and CCRS is almost completed. Once signed and in place, this will facilitate coverage over Canadian North America outside of those areas covered by the ASF station mask. DLR's mobile ground station in Mongolia will come back online near the end of April and will operate for at least 2 JERS-1 REQQ periods- approximately 88 days. During this time, there is a possibility that another round of tandem data acquisitions will occur with the ERS system. Data processing details will be determined through the context of another MOU between NASDA and DLR, but this will not affect current or future data acquisitions.

We have made direct contacts with the persons associated with the Russian ground stations, but we are still trying to determine whether or not their resources will actually be usable by the Program.

GRFM-wise, we have recently met with an INPE representative, Paulo Serra, and have started the MOU process between NASDA and INPE to facilitate use of their ground station in Brazil. The process has been jump started from both sides due to the importance of data acquisitions in South America to global researchers, INPE, and NASDA's multitemporal GRFM project. Also, there is a good possibility that the Program will be able to use the DLR mobile ground station in Libreville in Africa to support multitemporal studies in the region.

If you have any questions or would like more detailed information, please don't hesitate to contact us.

d. GBFM

The Global Boreal Forest Mapping Project (GBFM), the newest project in NASDA's Global Forest Mapping Program, will become an official project on 1 April 1998, the beginning of the Japanese government's fiscal year. Individual research projects in the boreal regions will be conducted through three Project Science Nodes, each one specializing in a particular region. A node at NASDA and JRC will coordinate the individual researchers for Siberia through a research invitation program, a node at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will coordinate planning for Canadian North America and Alaska through a NASA AO, and the Northern Europe node will coordinate a research invitation program through the Swedish National Space Board. NASDA will be responsible for overall project coordination through its Global Forest Mapping Program.

e. International Journal of Remote Sensing - Special Issue

f. CEOS/IGOS Global Observation of Forest Cover (GOFC)

The GRFM and GBFM projects' output datasets will be used as models for this pilot project which aims "To develop a reasonable and feasible prototype or test of an end-to-end product generation system for forest cover products from hi-res sources of data, which could be made operational for a range of application and user requirements." We will also use lessons learned in this process in future developments of the Global Forest Mapping Program, especially as we extend it for NASDA's next major SAR mission, the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS). This mission is scheduled for launch in 2002 and is currently going through a detailed analysis of user and technical requirements.

3. Observation Status

The observations of South and Central America, Central and West Africa, and the Southeast Asia area have been completed. The areas targeted for the GBFM, Canadian North America and Alaska, Siberia, and Northern Europe are currently being acquired through direct acquisition due to the shutdown of the MDR.

Please contact the EORC order desk if you need to change your past observation requests because of the MDR problems.

1. South and Central America
   

   Low water:	1800	scenes
   High water:	2400	scenes
   Multi:	6400	scenes (continuing)

   
   
2. Central and West Africa
   

   Low water:	2400	scenes
   High water:	1400	scenes

   
   
3. Southeast Asia and Pacific
   

   New Guinea	450	scenes
   North Australia	550	scenes
   Others	2500	scenes
   Multi:	2000	scenes (continuing)

   
   

1. Canadian North America and Alaska

   Summer and Winter:	6000	scenes (continuing)
   Multi:	16200	scenes (continuing)

   
   
2. Eastern /Western Siberia

   Summer and Winter:	11000	scenes (continuing)
   Multi:	20000	scenes (continuing)

   
   
3. Northern Europe

   Summer and Winter:	3200 scenes (continuing)
   Multi:	Including East and West Siberia

   
   

4. Research Invitation Program Status

a. Data Distribution Status

The JERS-1 Research Invitation program will be extended for another two years period at a minimum beginning 1 April 1998. Please note the following PI limits on observation and production requests. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us with questions. Now we are examining the extension of data distribution number for farther program.

These amounts are based on the data processing capacity of NASDA's EOC.

Data distribution statistics as of 24 February 1998 follow:

1. Shipped Data
   706 scenes
   This includes the requested data over 45 scenes, before EUS operating.
   
   
2. PI Receiving No Data
   8 / 29 PIs
   This also includes PIs directly associated with the partner organizations' mosaicking activities.

b. Research Invitation Program Status

We examined the issue of the extension of the JERS-1 RI research term, primarily because of the delay associated with data distribution and the inclusion of the GBFM into the Global Forest Mapping Program. It was decided that we would provide a two year extension at a minimum for the RI research term. If you have not already been contacted, we will speak to you shortly concerning the extension which includes new RI documentation and a new agreement.

JERS-1 Research Invitation as of 24 February 1998 follow:

• RI Program Status
  

  Research Theme	PIs
  GRFM	20
  InSAR	9
  Total	29	PIs



• Agreement Revision and New Contract
  This agreement will provide a two year extension at a minimum for the RI program and provide information for the research schedule, results presentation, etc. The agreement will cover the period March 1998 through March 2000 at a minimum.



• GBFM Research Invitation Program
  Will be added to the current RI program (GRFM / InSAR). It will begin on and after April, 1998.

5. SAR Interferometry Workshop

We held the SAR Interferometry Workshop on 18 December 1997 at EORC. The objective of this workshop was to develop broader community use of SAR Interferometry methods, evaluation of the techniques quantitatively as far as possible and to make a better proposal in this prospective field. About 100 participants had an active discussion about these issues and the limits of SAR Interferometry Techniques. This Workshop was conducted in Japanese. We will hold the same type of workshops periodically in the future. The next time we will hold the Tropical Rain Forest Workshop toward the end of April, 1998.

The workshop summary is as follows:

6. GRFM/InSAR PI List

A GRFM/InSAR PI List which includes the names and contact information of the PI team members currently associated with the Global Forest Mapping Program and SAR Interferometry Program is included at the end of this newsletter. If your informations is in the wrong, please let me see your right one.

a. GRFM PI

12. Dr. Bruce Chapman : U.S.A

Radar Sciences and Engineering Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) , NASA
M/S 300-243 4800 Oak Grove, Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 U.S.A
Tel :+1-818-354-3603     Fax :+1-818-393-6943
Email :bruce.chapman@jpl.nasa.gov

15. Dr. Craig Dobson : U.S.A

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, Radiation Laboratory, The University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2122 U.S.A
Tel :+1-313-747-1799     Fax :+1-313-747-2106
Email :dobson@engin.umich.edu

20. Dr. David Skole : U.S.A

Basic Science and Remote Sensing Program, Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824 U.S.A
Tel :+1-517-353-3300
Email :skole@pilot.msu.edu, bill@japura-f.sr.unh.edu

21. Dr. Fernando Pellon de Miranda : BRAZIL

Exploration Division, PETROBRAS Research and Development Center (CENPES) Cidade Universitaria Ilha do Fundao, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21949-900 Brazil
Tel :+55-21-598-6430     Fax :+55-21-598-6792
Email :fmiranda@cenpes.petrobras.gov.br

22. Dr. Gianfranco De Grandi : EU

European Commission MTV, Joint Research Centre, Ispra E Fermi, 21020 Ispra (Varese) Italy
Tel :+39-332-789-823     Fax :+39-332-789-073
Email :gianfranco.degrandi@jrc.it

26. Dr. John Baker : U.K

Remote Sensing Applications Development Unit, British National Space Centre
ITE Monks Wood Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE17 2LS U.K
Tel :+44-1487-773-381     Fax :+44-1487-773-277
Email :jrb@wpo.nerc.ac.uk

28. Dr. Luciano Vieira Dutra : BRAZIL

Image Processing Division, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE)
Av. dos Astronautas1758, PO Box 515 12227-010, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP Brazil
Tel :+55-123-45-6480     Fax :+55-123-45-6468
Email :dutra@dpi.inpe.br

29. Prof.. Neon Armand : RUSSIA

Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences
Vvedensky square, 1 Fryazino, Moscow region, 141120 Russia
Tel :+7-095-203-60-78     Fax :+7-095-203-84-14
Email :armand@mx.iki.rssi.ru

31. Prof. Paul Curran : U.K

Department of Geography, University of Southampton
Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ U.K
Tel :+44-1703-592-259     Fax :+44-1703-593-295
Email :P.Curran@soton.ac.uk

33. Dr. Suvit Vibulsresth

National Research Council of Thailand
196 Phahonyothin Rd., Chatuchak Bangkok 10900 Tailand
Tel :+66-2-579-0116     Fax :+66-2-561-3035
Email :seawatch@fc.nrct.go.th, suvit@fc.nrct.go.th

34. Dr. Thuy Le Toan : FRANCE

Centre d'Etude Spatiale de la BIOsphere (CESBIO)
Bpi 2801 18 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31055 Toulouse Cedex France
Tel :+33-561-556671     Fax :+33-561-558500
Email :Letoan@cesbio.cnes.fr

40. Dr. Anthony Freeman : U.S.A

California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) , NASA
M/S 300-235 4800 Oak Grove, Pasadena, CA91109 U.S.A
Tel :+1-818-354-1887     Fax :+1-818-393-5285
Email :tony.freeman@jpl.nasa.gov

41. Dr. Carlos Miller : BRAZIL

Fundacao Victoria Amazonica
Conjunto Morado do Sol Rua RS, Quadra A, Casa 7Manaus, Amazonas, 69080-510 Brazil
Tel :+55-92-642-1336     Fax :+55-92-236-3257
Email:fva@ax.apc.org

42. Dr. Sasan S. Saatchi : U.S.A

California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) , NASA
4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA91109 U.S.A
Tel :+1-818-354-1051     Fax :+1-818-354-0495
Email :saatchi@bacchus.jpl.nasa.gov, njoku@lor.jpl.nasa.gov

43. Dr. Jose Marcio Ayres : BRAZIL

Sociedade Civil Mamirua (SCM)
Caixa Postral 38 69.470-000 Tefe, Amazonas Brazil
Tel :+55-92-743-2736     Fax :+55-92-743-2736
Email :qgmamira@cnpq.br

47. Dr. Antonio Nobre : BRAZIL

Tropical Ecology, Biochemistry, GIS and Remote Sensing, Institute Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia (INPA)
Al. Cosme Ferreira 1756 Manaus, AM 69083-000 Brazil
Tel :+55-92-643-3153     Fax :+55-92-643-3153
Email :anobre@cr-am.rnp.br, anobre@internext.com.br

48. Dr. Anthony K. Milne : AUSTRALIA

Office of Postgraduate Studies and Research Associate, Center for Remote Sensing and GIS, University of New South Wales
New South Wales, SYDNEY 2052 Australia
Tel :+61-2-9385-2731     Fax :+61-2-9385-3733
Email :t.milne@unsw.edu.au

49. Dr. Mazlan Hashim : MALAYSIA

Centre for Remote Sensing, Faculty of Geoinformation Science and Engineering, University Technology Malaysia
Locked Bag 791, 80990 Johor Bahru Malaysia
Tel :+60-7-5502969     Fax :+60-7-5566163
Email :mazlan@fksg.utm.my

50. Dr. Nathalie Beaulieu : COLOMBIA

Centro International de Agricultura Tropical Apartado Aerero (CIAT)
Apartado Aerero 6713, Cali, Colombia, South America Colombia
Tel :572-445-0000 (ext3731)     Fax :572-445-0073
Email :beaulieu@gis.ciat.cgiar.org

54. Prof. Ryosuke Shibasaki : JAPAN

Faculty of Geoinformation Science and Engineering, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo
7-22-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106 Japan
Tel :+81-3-3402-6231     Fax :+81-3-5411-0411
Email :shiba@shunji.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp

b. InSAR

3. Prof. Jan Askne : SWEDEN

Department of Radio and Space Science, Chalmers University of Technology
S-412 96 Goteborg Sweden
Tel :+46-31-772-18-43     Fax :+46-31-164-513
Email : askne@rss.chalmers.se

5. Dr. Paris W. Vachon : CANADA

Data Acquisition Division, Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS)
588 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y7 Canada
Tel :+1-613-998-9060     Fax :+1-613-993-5022
Email :vachon@ccrs.emr.ca

9. Dr. Masaki Murakami : JAPAN

The Geodetic Research and Development Office, Geographical Survey Institute, The Ministry of Construction
1-Kitasato, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305 Japan
Tel :+81-298-64-4825     Fax :+81-298-64-1802
Email :masaki-m@gsi-mc.go.jp

11. Dr. Hiroshi Kimura : JAPAN

Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Gifu University
1-1 Yanagido, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-11 Japan
Tel :+81-58-293-2725     Fax :+81-58-230-1109
Email :hkimura@cc.gifu-u.ac.jp

27. Dr. Jose Claudio Mura : BRAZIL

Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE)
Av. dos Astronautas 1758, PO Box 515 12201-970, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP Brazil
Tel :+55-123-25-6497     Fax :+55-123-21-8743
Email :mura@dpi.inpe.br

30. Dr Paul A. Rosen : U.S.A

California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) , NASA
MS 300-235 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 U.S.A
Tel :+1-818-354-0023     Fax :+1-818-393-5285
Email :par@parsar.jpl.nasa.gov

37. Dr. Alexander I. Zakharov : RUSSIA

Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences
Vvedensky square 1, Fryazio, 141120 Moscow region Russia
Tel :+7-095-526-9047     Fax :+7-095-5269152,2038414
Email :aizakhar@sunclass.ire.rssi.ru, aizakhar@mx.iki.rssi.ru

38, 39. Dr. Didier Massonnet : FRANCE

Radar System Performance Departement, Centre National d'Etude Spatiale (CNES)
Bpi 811 18 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31401 Toulouse Cedex4 France
Tel :+33-561-273418     Fax :+33-561-273167
Email :radar@qtis.cst.cnes.fr

55. Dr. Akira Otuka : JAPAN

Department of research information, Natinal Agricultural Research Center, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
3-1-1 Kannondai, Tukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305 Japan
Tel :+81-298-38-8948     Fax :+81-298-38-8551
Email :aotuka@narc.affrc.go.jp

c. Others

Christer Magnusson : SWEDEN

Swedish Space Corporation (SSC)
Box 4207, Albygatan 107 Solna, Sweden 17104
Tel :+46-8-627-6200     Fax :+46-8-987-069
Email : cmn@ssc.se

Christiana Schumullius : GERMANY

DLR
Tel :+49-8153-282337     Fax :+49-8153-281449
Email : Chris.Schmullius@dlr.de

Jan Petter Pedersen : NORWAY

Head, Marketing Dept., Deputy Man. Director, Tromsoe Satellite Station
N-9005 Tromsoe, Norway
Tel :+47-77-68-48-17     Fax :+47-77-65-78-68
Email :Jan-Petter.Pedersen@tss.no