SAR Data CenterSDC Data

The SAR Data Center has a large data archive of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) from a variety of sensors available at no cost. Much of the SAR data in the ASF SDC archive is limited in distribution to the scientific research community and U.S. Government Agencies. In accordance with the Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between the relevant flight agencies (CSA, ESA, JAXA) and the U.S. State Department, the ASF SDC does not distribute SAR data for commercial use.
The research community can access the data (ERS-1, ERS-2, JERS-1, RADARSAT-1, and ALOS PALSAR) via a brief proposal process.

NASA-funded sensors and specific projects have open access data policies (AIRSAR, UAVSAR, International Polar Year data, Global Rain Forest and Boreal Forest Mapping Project, RADARSAT Antarctic Mapping Project).

Portals for accessing SDC Data

Open Access Data Sets

• AIRSAR

  - download AIRSAR data as a guest from URSA and Vertex

• UAVSAR

  - download UAVSAR data as a guest from URSA and Vertex

• International Polar Year Data

  - visit the IPY project page for data access information

Proposal Access Data Sets

ERS-1, ERS-2, JERS-1, and RADARSAT-1 Data Products

• Level Zero: Raw signal data that requires SAR processing before it can be visualized. Data can be received as a swath product in SKY telemetry format or subdivided into frames with an accompanying CEOS format leader file.
• Single Look Complex (SLC): Processed SAR data that contains both amplitude and phase information. The data is not multilooked and to be visualized must be further processed to an amplitude image.
• Detected Image: Fully processed SAR data which only contains the amplitude information. Image does not require any further SAR processing to be visualized.

ALOS PALSAR Data Products

• Level 1.0: Reconstructed, unprocessed signal data with radiometric- and geometric-correction coefficients appended but not applied.
• Level 1.1: Single Look Complex products provided in slant range geometry and compressed in range and azimuth. Individual files are provided for each polarization for multi-polarization modes.
• Level 1.5: Multi-look processed images projected onto map coordinates. Data can be processed either geo-referenced or geo-coded. Individual files are provided for each polarization for multi-polarization modes.