Commercial SAR Augmentation for Scatterometry and Wind Speed Estimation

Toyon Research Corporation teamed with Michigan Technological Research Institute and Goleta Star and is proposing to mature, demonstrate and validate a multi-look wind vector estimation framework developed in the first phase of the program. The Toyon team has shown the feasibility of our approach by leveraging multiple low earth orbit synthetic aperture radar satellite data processed using artificial intelligence-based algorithms with geophysical modeling function constraints. These processed data have been used to generate wind vector estimates from selected experimental areas in the Pacific Ocean, buoy measurements in the same areas have shown strong correlation with our estimates. Our proposed work centers around expanded experimental validation of our processing paradigm using both alternate continuous monitoring buoys as well as locally emplaced dense grids of augmentation buoys. These proposed experiments will allow us to validate our wind vector estimates over an entire collection footprint. Along with this we will focus on maturing our implementations and developing a preliminary data distribution design initially centered around the Joint Typhoon Warning Center as a processed data clearing house.   Successful completion of this program phase will result in a validated estimation algorithm along with a mature software base to be used in initial operating capability demonstrations.