Using the MicroASAR on the NASA SIERRA UAS in the Characterization of Arctic Sea Ice Experiment

Abstract

The MicroASAR is a flexible, robust SAR system built on the successful legacy of the BYU μSAR. It is a compact LFM-CW SAR system designed for low-power operation on small, manned aircraft or UAS. The NASA SIERRA UAS was designed to test new instruments and support flight experiments. NASA used the MicroASAR on the SIERRA during a science field campaign in 2009 to study sea ice roughness and break-up in the Arctic and high northern latitudes. This mission is known as CASIE-09 (Characterization of Arctic Sea Ice Experiment 2009). This paper describes the MicroASAR and its role flying on the SIERRA UAS platform as part of CASIE-09.