Misin SRTM NASA

SRTM used radar instruments to collect data for the most

detailed, near global topographic map of the Earth ever made.
For this application, radar is a better tool to use than regular
optical cameras because it can operate day or night and can
penetrate cloud cover. Flying the radar on the Shuttle means that
physical access to a site is no longer a problem.

SRTM payload with mast extended.

"Airglow" is an effect of Earth's atmosphere.
Using the technique of interferometry, SRTM collect data over 80% of Earth's land mass, home to
nearly 95% of the world's population. All of the radar data was collected during a single, 11-day
Space Shuttle mission, and will be processed to the same specifications. Collecting and processing
the data this way ensures that the SRTM generated topographic maps will have the same
characteristics.

The information collected by SRTM will be used to provide a tool to enhance the activities of
scientists, the military, commercial, and civilian users.
 Mission

MISSION OVERVIEW

The objective of the Shuttle RadarTopography Mission is to obtain elevation radar data on a
near-global scale to generate the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database
of Earth. The SRTM radar data have many applications.

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) is an international project spearheaded by the
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and NASA whose objective is to obtain the most complete
high-resolution digital topographic database of the Earth.

Part of the SRTM hardware is photographed through Endeavour's aft flight deck windows about halfway into the mission.
The mast is deployed from the mast canister, and the main antenna can be seen behind the mast.

During the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, a specially modified radar system flew onboard
Space Shuttle Endeavour for 11 days in February of 2000. This radar system gathered data that will
result in the most accurate and complete topographic map of Earth's surface that has ever been
assembled.

The processed SRTM radar data can be tailored to meet the needs of the military, civil, and scientific
user communities. But other uses of this data include improved water drainage modeling, more
realistic flight simulators, navigation safety, better locations for cell phone towers, and even improved
maps for backpackers.

Just about any project that requires accurate knowledge of the shape and height of the land can
benefit from this data. Some examples are flood control, soil conservation, reforestation, volcano
monitoring, earthquake research, and glacier movement monitoring.

SRTM used of a technique called radar interferometry . In radar interferometry, two radar images
are taken from slightly different locations. Differences between these images allow for the calculation
of surface elevation, or change. To get two radar images taken from different locations the SRTM
hardware consisted of one radar antenna in the shuttle payload bay and a second radar antenna
attached to the end of a mast that extended 60 meters (200 feet) from the shuttle.

SRTM was launched into an orbit with an inclination of 57 degrees. This allowed SRTM's radars
to cover most of Earth's land surface that lies between 60 degrees north and 56 degrees south
latitude. This is about 80 percent of Earth's land mass.

Artist representation of SRTM in space. Main antenna is located in the payload bay, the mast is deployed to 60 meters (200
feet), and the outboard antenna is attached to the end of the mast.
(Courtesy of the German Aerospace Center)
 FROM SPARE PARTS TO NEW MISSION

The SRTM mission re-used some of the hardware that flew on the Shuttle in 1994.

The radars used during the SRTM mission were actually developed and flown on two shuttle
missions that took place in 1994. The Shuttle Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) and the X-Band Synthetic
Aperture Radar (X-SAR) flew on board the space shuttle in April and October of 1994 to gather data
about Earth's environment.

SIR-C was developed by NASA. X-SAR was developed through a joint collaboration with the space
agencies of Germany and Italy. So SRTM was actually a mission that re-used proven flight hardware
plus some additional equipment that was needed to get the job done.

The major innovation of SRTM was that additional antennas were deployed on a 60-meter mast so
the system could operate as a single-pass interferometer to efficiently and accurately collect
elevation data. The 60-meter mast is the longest structure ever flown in space.

Funding for SRTM came from the Defense Department's National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
(NGA), while NASA supplied the SIR-C hardware, shuttle launch, ground systems, mission
operations, and data processing support. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Italian
Space Agency (ASI) supplied the X-SAR hardware, ground systems, mission operations, and data
processing support.

NGA also provided ground control and worked with JPL to determine the errors in the SRTM data.
NGA will also format, archive, and distribute the data for the Department of Defense.
 RADAR SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The SRTM instrument was made up of three sections, the main radar antenna, the mast, and
the outboard radar antenna.

The Main Antenna

The main radar antenna transmitted the radar pulse. It contained

special panels that allowed it to receive the returned radar pulse after
it bounced off the Earth. It was attached to a structure that was bolted
into the payload bay of the space shuttle.
Drawing of main antenna in stowed
configuration

The Mast

The mast was folded up accordian-style inside a canister that was

attached to the side of the main antenna. After the shuttle was in space
and the payload bay doors opened, the mast emerged from the canister
and extended out to 60 meters (200 feet). The SRTM mast is longest rigid
structure ever flown in space.

Mast fully extended from canister at

 AEC-Able

The Outboard Antenna

Outboard antenna attached to
canister for shuttle fligh
The outboard antenna was attached to the end of the mast. While inside
the payload bay, the outboard antenna was folded along the top of the
canister and the main antenna. After the payload bay doors opened but
before the mast was extended, the outboard antenna was partially swung
down. After the mast fully extended, the outboard antenna was lowered
into its operating position. The outboard antenna contained special
panels that allowed it to receive the same returned pulse as the main
antenna.

A Near-Global Topographic Map

The radar data the SRTM instrument captured will allow us to create very detailed topographic maps
of the Earth's surface using a technique called interferometry. Interferometry is the study of
interference patterns caused by radar signals received at two different antennas. The SRTM
instrument was designeded to capture one signal using two antennas. Because it flew around the
Earth, SRTM will create maps on a global scale. It even mapped places on the Earth that have never
been mapped before. The SRTM instrument will create the most complete global topographic map
ever made.
 What Part of the Earth was Mapped?

DATA COVERAGE

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission collected data over most of the land surfaces that lay
between 60 degrees north latitude and 54 degrees south latitude. That's about 80 percent of all
the land on Earth.

Data Statistics
Land coverage: Targetted land was 80% of Earth landmass (119.56 M km2, 46.16 M mi2)
99.968% targetted land mapped at least once (119.51 M km2, 46.14 M mi2)
94.59% targetted land mapped at least twice (113.10 M km2, 43.66 M mi2)
49.25% targetted land mapped at least 3 times (58.59 M km2, 22.73 M mi2)
24.10% targetted land mapped at least 4 times (28.81 M km2, 11.12 M mi2)
Land area missed: 50,000 km2 (all in US)

In the maps below, the colors of the swaths indicate the number of times the area was imaged by
SRTM. For land, one-time coverage is green, twice is yellow-green and so on, as shown in the key at
lower left. Over water, the color code is in shades of blue as shown in the key at lower right. Areas in
red could not be mapped. SRTM, a topography mission, mostly acquired data over land. Small
amounts of data were collected over the water for calibration purposes.

FINAL COVERAGE MAP: FLAT MAP

 View a 200k version of the coverage map.

FINAL COVERAGE MAP: GLOBAL VIEW