Next Generation SAR: a Copernicus Perspective

Abstract:
Four years after the launch of Sentinel-1A and two years after the one of Sentinel-1B, the discussion about the evolution of the SAR component of the Copernicus system is open, with a view for the European Commission and ESA to prepare the next phase of the programme. In this paper, we frame such reflection in its historical context, reviewing first the rationale that led to the key system choices that shaped Sentinel-1, its performance and achievements. Such historical perspective suggests the direction of possible evolutions of SAR missions from the Copernicus perspective and indicates the challenges that the definition of the new phase presents.