Reformed ITAR rules open the commercial satellite regulatory environment

Satellite 2015: Reformed ITAR rules transform the commercial satellite regulatory environment | Hyperbola

US Government officials from the US Commerce Department, Directorate of Trade Controls and US Defense Security Administration were at pains to communicate the new “industry friendly” position on ITAR export regulations which became effective as of 10 November 2014. During a presentation at the Satellite 2015 conference being held in the US capital Washington D.C. ITAR regulators noted the changes and the dramatic decline in enquires and their workload which has occurred since the new regime was introduced.
The major change is that commercial satellites have been removed from the US Munitions List and are no long considered as military exports. Many satellite components are also delisted  and are no longer part of a blanket ban. The change was made after the US Government belatedly realised that the overly draconian ITAR regime was an export-damaging over-reaction to past space industry help given to China with is rocket guidance systems after Long March launch failures in the 1990s.
- See more at: http://seradata.com/SSI/2015/03/satellite-2015-reformed-itar-rules-transform-the-commercial-satellite-regulatory-environment/#sthash.J7pDlsiJ.dpuf

US Government officials from the US Commerce Department, Directorate of Trade Controls and US Defense Security Administration were at pains to communicate the new “industry friendly” position on ITAR export regulations which became effective as of 10 November 2014. During a presentation at the Satellite 2015 conference being held in the US capital Washington D.C. ITAR regulators noted the changes and the dramatic decline in enquires and their workload which has occurred since the new regime was introduced.

The major change is that commercial satellites have been removed from the US Munitions List and are no long considered as military exports. Many satellite components are also delisted  and are no longer part of a blanket ban. The change was made after the US Government belatedly realised that the overly draconian ITAR regime was an export-damaging over-reaction to past space industry help given to China with is rocket guidance systems after Long March launch failures in the 1990s.

Looser Satellite Export Restrictions Spark Drop in License Requests 

WASHINGTON — The loosening of U.S. satellite export restrictions that took effect last Nov. 10 has led to “a huge reduction” in the number of license requests because of the number of exports that do not require detailed licensing review, U.S. State, Commerce and Defense department officials said March 17 at the Satellite 2015 conference. - See more at: http://spacenews.com/looser-satellite-export-restrictions-spark-drop-in-license-requests/#sthash.P3IWiVlA.dpuf

WASHINGTON — The loosening of U.S. satellite export restrictions that took effect last Nov. 10 has led to “a huge reduction” in the number of license requests because of the number of exports that do not require detailed licensing review, U.S. State, Commerce and Defense department officials said March 17 at the Satellite 2015 conference. -  The relaxation removed certain categories of satellite components from the U.S. Munitions List, meaning they were no longer restricted under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) regime that classed satellites as weapons. -

Is My Satellite ITAR or EAR? | MIT OSP
On November 10, 2014, some satellites, spacecraft, and components were moved from the US Munitions List (USML, ITAR control) and added them to the Commerce Control List (CCL, EAR control):

• Communications satellites that do not contain classified components or capability
• Remote sensing satellites with performance parameters below certain thresholds
• Systems, subsystems parts, and components associated with these satellites and with performance parameters below a certain threshold

The State Department’s summary is that “certain commercial communications and remote sensing satellites” have moved from the ITAR to the EAR. The only way to know whether a specific satellite or spacecraft is still under the ITAR is to review it against Category XV of the USML, which is more specific, more technical, and longer than the previous USML. Following is a subset, omitting elements that seem less relevant to our potential research. The full list can be found in Category XV of the USML.
If your satellite or component is in the list below, it's subject to ITAR control. If not (assuming it doesn't appear in the full list either), it will be subject to EAR control, as described in Category 9 of the CCL.

New Satellite Rules Effective Today | American Trade & Manufacturing Blog
By Lori Scheetz on November 10, 2014 Posted in Export Controls

Today, the Department of State’s final rule (with corrections available here) and the Department of Commerce’s final rule revising the export controls applicable to satellites and related parts, components, software, technology, and services became effective. The agencies published interim final rules detailing the changes in May 2014.  This is long-awaited and welcome news to the satellite and space industry, as commercial communications satellites (without classified components or capability), remote sensing satellites with performance parameters below certain thresholds, as well as a number of other items are now controlled by Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations (EAR), rather than State’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).  Of course, most of the items that now fall under the purview of the EAR will remain subject to fairly stringent export controls requirements, including special controls and rules applicable to countries subject to arms embargo policies. There are two points of note in the new rules: 

1. First, State and Commerce codified existing policy regarding telemetry data.  Neither the ITAR nor new Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) 9E515 in the EAR covering technology related to the formerly ITAR-controlled satellites and spacecraft control data transmitted to or from a satellite or spacecraft, whether real or simulated, when limited to information about the health, operational status, or function of, or measurements or raw sensor output from, the spacecraft, spacecraft payload(s), or their associated subsystems or components.
2. Second, even if a satellite or spacecraft has shifted from ITAR- to EAR-controlled, defense services still may be an issue.  In this connection, the ITAR explicitly controls furnishing
   assistance in the integration of a satellite or spacecraft to a launch  vehicle (planning and onsite support) and in the launch failure analysis of a satellite or spacecraft, regardless of the  jurisdiction, ownership, or origin of the satellite or spacecraft and regardless of whether or not ITAR-controlled technical data is used.  In other words, these types of activities require authorization under the ITAR even if the satellite or spacecraft is now EAR-controlled and even if no ITAR-controlled technical data is transferred.

These are just two of many revisions and clarifications made by State’s and Commerce’s final rules.  Now that the much anticipated change to U.S. export controls on satellites is a reality, manufacturers and exporters should carefully review the new rules to determine where their products and technology fall and make any necessary changes to their export compliance programs.

Background/Related:

• ITAR compliance: ignorance is no excuse - Military & Aerospace Electronics 
• Satellites -- Final Rules
  Export Control Briefing
• Federal Register | Amendment to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Revision of U.S. Munitions List Category XV
• The Commercial Space Blog: Proposed US ITAR Regulations Impact Space Tourism & Satellite Servicing 

NBN Sky Muster on Ariane 5 in Guiana ready for launch to give Remote Australians Broadband

The first Sky Muster satellite will be launched from the
Guiana Space Centre in South America on October 1.

The Register: The Ariane 5 rocket. VA-226,
that will carry the first NBN satellite into orbit

Final countdown for NBN Sky Muster communications satellite for remote Australia - ABC Rural (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The final countdown has started for the launch of the National Broadband Network (NBN) satellite 'Sky Muster'.

On October 1, the large communications satellite will be propelled into its 36,000 kilometre orbit.
It's the first of two satellites that NBN will commission to deliver fast broadband to 200,000 rural and remote homes and businesses across Australia from the middle of next year.

NBN announces another 400 towns and suburbs will be added to network by late 2017 | optic-connections
The builders of the National Broadband Network (NBN) have announced a list of the next 400 cities, suburbs and towns planned for the network’s rollout.
NBN Co says almost two million homes should be connected by late 2017.
Construction under the plan is due to begin in mid-2016 with the network expected to be up and running 12 to 18 months later.
NBN Co chief executive Bill Morrow said the company was taking a new approach that used multiple technologies.
“Our objective is by 2020 to get every home, every business connected to the NBN,” he said.
“In order to do that in that short of a timeframe, we have to use a variety of technologies that takes advantage of the different infrastructure that’s across the country today.
“This is a bit of a learning process as we go. This is the first time this has been done in Australia.
“When we look at the next 19 months of the schedule we’ve given, we’ve factored in all of the trials, all of the process improvements and technology understanding that we have to be able to put this forecast out there.”


 
Sky Muster: final countdown to first nbn™ satellite launch | nbn - Australia's new broadband network
Scheduled to launch from Guiana Space Centre in South America on 1 October 2015, Sky Muster is currently on track to progressively deliver fast broadband to more than 200,000 homes and businesses in rural and remote Australia starting next year.
Weighing nearly 6,400 kilograms, it is one of the world’s largest communications satellites and is the first of two nbn plans to launch into space.

The 'Rolls-Royce' NBN satellite Malcolm Turnbull didn't want is ready for launch | afr.com

Glacial broadband speeds in remote areas are a source of severe frustration.  Under the current oversubscribed interim satellite service, which uses spare capacity from satellite operators such as Optus, download limits are severely limited. A National Farmers' Federation submission to the current regional telecommunications review chaired by former Telstra executive Deena Shiff claimed many users were unable to perform basic tasks online such as email photographs or use accounting software. Children have been unable to complete School of the Air lessons.

"The state of broadband in regional Australia at the moment is absolutely woeful," says NFF general manager of rural affairs and agribusiness Charlie Thomas.

The new satellites boast a total capacity of 135Gbps compared to only 4Gbps for the interim satellite service, so Turnbull and his hand-chosen replacement, Mitch Fifield, can safely claim the upgraded service will be a considerable improvement. "[The new satellites are] helping to significantly bridge the digital divide," Fifield says.

The aim of the long-term satellite service is to deliver peak download speeds of 25 megabits per second, vaguely comparable with some urban areas. This involves the two satellites each projecting 101 torch-like spot beams across the continent (and offshore locations such as Christmas Island) as well as the construction of no fewer than 10 ground stations with twin 13.5 metre satellite dishes. 

All this costs money. For a $45 billion to $56 billion project beset by cost blowouts since its inception, the long-term satellite service and its associated infrastructure is clearly the most expensive component. The cost of each satellite connection is $7900, compared with an average cost of connecting fibre to existing homes and businesses of around $4400. Put another way, the cost of connecting about 3 per cent of the population to the NBN accounts for almost 10 per cent of the total budget. 

A cost-benefit analysis of the NBN commissioned by the Coalition government and released in August last year found the most cost-effective option would be an unsubsidised model in which the private sector delivered high-speed broadband to 93 per cent of homes – leaving 7 per cent of premises in regional and rural areas without fast internet.

UrtheCast leaders describe new EO Satellite Constellation

UrtheCast went public on June 27 through a reverse IPO,
CIX Top 20 Alumni - Canadian Innovation Exchange

UrtheCast Releases The World’s First Full-Color HD Videos Of Earth

UrtheCast HRC Achieves IOC, Looks to Grow EO Presence - Via Satellite

[Via Satellite 08-12-2015] Vancouver-based UrtheCast has achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for its High-Resolution Camera (HRC), Iris, aboard the International Space Station (ISS)  — the company announced plans in June to develop, launch and operate the a fully-integrated, multispectral optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) commercial constellation of EO satellites.

UrtheCast plans to deploy the coming constellation, comprised of an estimated 16 satellites (eight optical and eight SAR), over multiple launches slated from 2019 and 2020. The constellation will combine with the company’s cameras aboard the ISS as well as two recently purchased EO satellites, Deimos 1 and Deimos 2, to further the company’s goal of “democratizing the view of Earth from space,” according to UrtheCast’s website.


“We’ve always felt that UrtheCast needed to expand past the International Space Station,” UrtheCast CEO Scott Larson said in an earnings call Aug. 11 for the company’s second quarter. “Deimos was the first step and this constellation will complete the process,”


Q&A with Wade Larson, President and COO of UrtheCast

On
June 19, the company said it was developing a 16-satellite
constellation in partnership with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
(SSTL). Eight of the satellites will carry high-resolution cameras and
the other eight SAR payloads. Three days later, UrtheCast announced it
was acquiring a European remote sensing company, Deimos Imaging, that
currently operates two satellites.


One of the key people overseeing this change in direction at
UrtheCast is Wade Larson, the company’s president and chief operating
officer since 2013. Larson came up with the original vision for
UrtheCast after nearly 20 years in the space industry, including work at
the Canadian Space Agency and MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates.

- See more at: http://spacenews.com/wade-larson-on-urthecasts-pivot-from-station-to-constellation/#sthash.5lttVoJO.dpuf

 On June 19, the company said it was developing a 16-satellite constellation in partnership with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL). Eight of the satellites will carry high-resolution cameras and the other eight SAR payloads. Three days later, UrtheCast announced it was acquiring a European remote sensing company, Deimos Imaging, that currently operates two satellites.

One of the key people overseeing this change in direction at UrtheCast is Wade Larson, the company’s president and chief operating officer since 2013. Larson came up with the original vision for UrtheCast after nearly 20 years in the space industry, including work at the Canadian Space Agency and MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates.

How will your constellation stand out from the growing number of current or planned competitors?

A key point is the sensor suite. What we’re proposing here is a fully integrated electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar constellation. That by itself is already unique among many of these smallsat constellations that are coming out.

The second is the concept of operations. We’re proposing to fly the radar satellite and the optical satellite in very close tandem formations, about a minute apart, at an altitude of 450 kilometers. There’s a lot of real-time interaction between the satellites based on onboard processing.

The third thing is to really stress is that, strictly speaking, we’re not putting up smallsats. We actually think that the sweet spot is somewhere between what people currently call smallsats, which, depending on the definition might be 200 to 300 kilograms, and the traditional class of satellites that might be a couple of tons. We think the sweet spot is somewhere between 600 and roughly 1,000 kilograms per satellite. That’s the size at which you can get the advantages of low-cost satellites in terms of some of the new technologies that are coming out, particularly electronics, but you can still protect aperture.

So it was aperture that was driving you to this somewhat larger class of satellites?

Absolutely. You can’t get around the physics. It has to be big enough to collect the photons necessary to get down to the resolution you want. We’re targeting a resolution of 0.5 meters for our satellites, on the optical side.

Is there a similar argument for the SAR sensor?

The argument is even stronger, because the power requirements are so great. On the radar side, radar is power hungry. What is really unique about our technology — and we’ve patented this — is the ability to image simultaneously in quad-polarization L-band and single-polarization X-band from the same sensor. The ability to do that with relatively low power is something that’s quite special here. But you need a lot more power than you can get from a 200- or 300-kilogram class bus. That’s pushing us up to just north of 1,000 kilograms.

Are you planning to use the same bus for both spacecraft?

We’re aiming for maximum standardization across both. The eight optical satellites all look the same, and the eight radar satellites all look the same. There are huge similarities in terms of bus design and other things, because you get the economies of scale and the efficiencies by doing so.

Obviously, there are differences. For example, the radar birds are bigger, so you need more propulsion, so you have bigger tanks. They’re a little heavier, so you might need a different solution in terms of how you point the spacecraft. 

On-Demand Satellites Can Shoot High-Def Video of Your Car - Scientific American

Daniel Lopez, director of technology, said that UrtheCast had already archived close to a petabyte of data, even before officially launching its services. Future customers will be able to call up imagery from any time and place of coverage on demand, a feat made possible, Lopez said, by cloud computing services. “We couldn’t do this several years ago,” he noted.

Related/Background:

• Surrey Blog | Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC 
• UrtheCast Awarded Prize for 'Strategic Transaction of the Year' by Euroconsult During the 2015 Summit on Earth Observation Business 
• UrtheCast Acquires Deimos Imaging for $83 Million - Via Satellite 
• spendergast: Urthecast 4k UHD Video from ISS is out of this world 
• spendergast: UrtheCast Commercial SAR and Optical 16-Satellite Constellation provides global Earth Observation Imagery 
• x

smartphone baseball speed radar

Turn your phone into a baseball speed radar with Scoutee | AndroidAuthority

Baseball pitchers throw many balls and some may seem to be faster than ever, but it’s hard to determine true speeds without expensive, bulky equipment. Scoutee aims to end all your pitching woes by becoming your very own portable baseball speed detector, providing you with all the
data you need to improve your skills or impress friends, coaches and even scouts.


What is this Scoutee thing all about, then? This is a tiny devices that can be attached to the back of your phone, or one can simply place it anywhere and connect to it wirelessly. The idea is that it needs to be able to capture the baseball’s movement. It’s small and literally fits in the palm of your hand. After being put to action, Scoutee can measure ball speeds and transfer all data to the official app via Bluetooth (works with both Android and iOS).

As it goes with many of these innovative startup products, the Scoutee is being crowd-funded on Kickstarter. So far it has collected over $22,000 out of the $50,000 pledge goal, but this is a very
promising number considering the campaign is new and still has 30 days to go.

Related/Background:

Functional Block Diagram of Simple Doppler Radar

Projects | Build a Small Radar System Capable of Sensing Range, Doppler, and Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging | MIT OpenCourseWare

• Pocket Radar Baseball Radar Gun
• Radar Gun | Golf Swing Speed | Radar Speed Sensor  
• JasonMartinThesisWSU.pdf
• Baseball Radar Gun Apps: iPad/iPhone Apps AppGuide
• Radar Gun - Android Apps on Google Play 
• Calculating Speeds of Objects On The Go with Pocket Radar - HighTechDad
• Zoooomaya and speed guns – The Hardball Times

GA-ASI signs lease in North Dakota for training facility to join NGC

General Atomics signs lease for Grand Forks drone tech park - Washington Times

Monday, September 21, 2015 GRANDFORKS, N.D. (AP) - A second tenant has officially joined the nation’s first unmanned aircraft business park located in North Dakota.

North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven announced Monday that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has signed a 10-year lease agreement to establish a drone training academy at the Grand Sky facility.

The company is planning a 16,000-square-foot hangar to house three aircraft that will be used to train up to 60 flight crews a year.

North Dakota Claims Largest UAS Test Site | Aero-News Network
in 2014, North Dakota became the first mission-ready test site chosen by the FAA to assist in research integrating unmanned aircraft with manned aircraft into the national airspace. North Dakota alone has invested $22.5 million into the test site to advance research and development for the commercialization of UAS, and will be investing an additional $10 million further between now and 2017. In addition, the state’s ‘Research ND’ program will offers $5 million biannually in grants for research and development to organizations and companies involved in UAS research through cooperation with the University of North Dakota (UND) and North Dakota State University (NDSU).
“North Dakota is attracting innovative thinkers in UAS technology, creating jobs and expanding this important industry,” said Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley, who also serves as chairman of the Northern Plains Unmanned Systems Authority. “The momentum our state has gained in the past year alone, in cooperation with the FAA, shows again that we are the premier location for the advancement of UAS.”
In February, the Grand Forks Air Force Base officially signed an Extended Use Lease Agreement that will allow for the development of the nation’s very first UAS business park, Grand Sky. Governor Jack Dalrymple has already appropriated $2.5 million in state funds to further develop the 1.2 million square-foot UAS aerospace and technology park, with plans ahead for further annual investment. Grand Sky is estimated to eventually house 3,000 collaborating innovators for the advancement of UAS technology, including anchor tenant Northrop Grumman - who just signed a formal lease agreement and will break ground on its new facility at Grand Sky in September.

Related/Background:

• spendergast: GA-ASI and NGC plan UAS training in North Dakota 
• spendergast: GA-ASI RSG's Blue talks training facility in Grand Sky North Dakota
• Grand Forks Will Train Predator Pilots From Around The World 
• spendergast: UAS Summit next week in Grand Forks, ND 

Procedure to fix “This copy of windows is not genuine” error

Procedure to fix “This copy of windows is not genuine” error 

If our windows is not genuine, we get the error message “this copy of windows is not genuine“. Solving this problem is very easy by using command prompt.
After installing windows 7 build 7601 or any version of windows, it will run for one month or two months after that we get problems like often getting error message “this copy of windows is not genuine” and getting blank screen.
The method which has given in this article must work for windows 7 32 bit and 64 bit version.

1. Click on start menu.
2. Type cmd in search field.
3. Right click on cmd file and click on Run as Administrator.It is must to run command prompt with administrator privileges.
4. Type SLMGR -REARM (SLMGR is Windows software licensing management tool. REARM command will reset the licensing status of machine) and press enter.
5. Now you will see a confirmation window, click on OK.
6. Restart your PC.

UAS Summit next week in Grand Forks, ND

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Industry Experts and Major Firms Are Set to Present at the 9th Annual UAS Summit Next Week - EIN News

Produced by UAS Magazine and the Red River Valley Research Corridor,
the Ninth Annual UAS Summit Will Provide Attendees With a Comprehensive
Overview of the Current State of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Industry

/EINPresswire.com/ -- GRAND FORKS, ND -- (Marketwired) -- 09/17/15 -- UAS Magazine will be hosting the 9th annual UAS Summit,
the upper Midwest's premier unmanned aircraft systems event produced by
UAS Magazine, in collaboration with the Red River Valley Research
Corridor. Taking place next week, September 21-23 in Grand Forks, North
Dakota. The 2015 agenda is focused on both small and large unmanned
aircraft systems -- featuring industry and military leaders, UAV
manufacturers, payload providers, designers, and commercial operators
with the most important insight of today's UAS world.



WHAT: UAS Summit





WHERE: Alerus Center, Ballroom 5 1200 S 42nd St, Grand Forks, ND 58201





WHEN: UAS Summit begins Monday, September 21 and runs through Wednesday, September 23.





HOW: Media personnel interested in covering the UAS Conference can contact service@bbiinternational.com to request a media pass





More information can be found at www.TheUASsummit.com

NRL seeks Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Value Added Processing

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Value Added Processing for NRL Transportable Ground Terminals - N00173-15-GA04 - Federal Business Opportunities: Opportunities

Title:              Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Value Added Processing for NRL Transportable Ground Terminals
Sol. #:             N00173-15-GA04
Agency:             Department of the Navy
Office:             Office of Naval Research
Location:           Naval Research Laboratory
Posted On:          Sep 18, 2015 7:32 pm
Base Type:          Sources Sought
Link:               https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DON/ONR/N00173/N00173-15-GA04/listing.html

NRL is seeking an expanded follow-on contract to the N00173-14-C-2004 contract. Contract N00173-14-C-2003 was awarded as a sole source by authority of FAR 6.302-1 to MDA Information Systems LLC, Gaithersburg MD. The Government does not intend to use FAR Part 12, Acquisition of
Commercial Items.

Artists Concept of RADARSAT-2

The goal of the NRL program is to partner with a service provider to deliver products derived from at least RADARSAT-2 imagery and provide single system which will also produce imagery from WorldView-1 and WorldView-2 satellite systems via imagery downlinked directly to a Government owned, highly transportable satellite tracking system (the TGT). This system must be capable of being relocated anywhere around the globe, and interfaced with a contractor-owned transportable data processing system.

RADARSAT-2 image modes and resolutions

RADARSAT-2 is a commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite that supports wide area surveillance with up to 500 km wide swaths capable of imaging large areas quickly and efficiently. In addition, RADARSAT-2 supports dual polarization beam modes offering enhanced feature discrimination and ship detection. Worldview-1 and Worldview-2 are commercial satellites with sensors providing multi-spectral imagery through visible and near infrared band sensors. Purchase of the Worldview-2 imagery is outside the scope of this contract, but the processing and delivery of full resolution imagery is not.


The service to be provided with this contract is for rapid, deployable access to commercial, unclassified, shareable satellite based GEOphysical INTelligence (GEOINT) data in support of the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Boarder Protection Missions. The contractor-provided services in support of NRL, together with the Government owned highly transportable satellite tracking system (NRL-supplied X-band antenna system), will support an R&D mission
here at the Naval Research Laboratory and a deployed prototype system at the Air and Marine Operations Center (AMOC) in Riverside California.

Capability Statement

Organizations responding to this RFI must be capable of tasking RADARSAT-2; licensing the sale of only derived products from the data downlinked from the RADARSAT-2; optionally, allow purchase of selected full image frames; and provide system engineering/software development to design and implement modifications to the CTAR system software.

The contractor system must also be able to process the data directly downlinked from the  Worldview-1 and Worldview-2 commercial satellites and process them in to standard multi-spectral imagery data products. Purchase of the Worldview-2 imagery is outside the scope of this contract, but the processing and delivery of full resolution imagery is not.

RFI Technical Questions

NRL is requesting responses to the following technical questions:

1. DERIVED PRODUCTS - 
1. Is purchasing only derived products possible from a transportable ground terminal? 
2. What will be the cost savings for purchasing only derived products compared to purchasing the full imagery?
2. TASKING - How will the service provider support the tasking of RADARSAT and World View Satellites?
3. IMAGE PROCESSING - 
1. How will the image processor meet the time requirement for creation of the full imagery? 
2. How will the size of the system be reduce to enable rapid deployment of the TGT system?
4. OTHER - Are there any other derived products from SAR imagery that would be applicable to maritime domain awareness?

 Related/Background

• spendergast: Canadian Maritime Domain Awareness Overview
• spendergast: SAR Imagery streams from MDA to PCI Geomatics Users 
• MDA to provide RADARSAT-2 imagery to the European Space Agency | International Space Fellowship
• J&A6.302-1-13GA14 for MDA RADARSAT-2 Sole Source Award by NRL.pdf 
• RADARSAT-2 Imaging Modes and Applications Webinar.pdf 
• Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Basic Doctrine Publication 1-0 - doctrine.pdf
• MDA Extends Provision of RADARSAT-2 Information to the Netherlands
• MDA Geospatial Intelligence Products -
  The use of unclassified, shareable geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) ensures effective tasking at a far lower price point than dedicated national satellite missions. MDA is the headquarters and ground system supplier of choice for the world's leading high-resolution optical satellite operators and uses their image data in tandem with RADARSAT-1 and -2 SAR data to deliver geospatial intelligence products, including Imagery Exploitation Reports, Order of Battle Analysis, Change Detection Products, Human Activity Products, Ground Deformation Products, and Ground Cover Change Products that utilize weather-independent surveillance that reduces or denies traditional countermeasures.
  GEOINT data is extracted by MDA to accurately detect and monitor military infrastructure and emplacements, civil infrastructure, borders, ports, and harbours, and is regularly used for disaster response, peacekeeping, and international sanction enforcement.
• Imaging Notes Magazine || Advanced Geospatial Intelligence Products
  

  

  Ships in a busy port are readily detected and classified

  

  in RADARSAT-2 image.

  RADARSAT-2 data can be delivered as raw imagery or as an Advanced Geospatial Intelligence (AGI) product. AGIs are derived from a single SAR image or multiple SAR images that can be single, dual, or quad-polarized, across the range of available resolutions. The information content of the image comes from computer-based algorithms that usually require some form of operator intervention. An AGI product may be considered as a tactical decision aid if the TCPED cycle occurs within hours. In contrast, if the TCPED cycle occurs within days, the AGI product would be a strategic decision aid.

  

  Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, RADARSAT-2 ScanSAR Narrow B with dual polarization
  (Transmit VV; Receive VH; R:VH G:VH B:VV)
  taken March 3, 2008.

  An AGI product may entail quantitative information derived from the image or may be an annotated product containing end-user relevant features and targets. Examples of AGI products for
  selected defense and intelligence end users include:
• Air Force: Target product showing precise target locations; digital elevation models to support mission planning
  
• Navy: Ocean features product for operational oceanography
  
• Army: Terrain mobility product depicting land
  classes; coherence change detection or polarimetric change detection for
  situational awareness
  
• Marine Corps: Coastal-zone product to support amphibious operations
•