SOPA - SHARAD Open Processing Attempt

What is SOPA?

SOPA means SHARAD Open Processing Attempt. SOPA is thought to be a suite, let's say a soup, of open source algorithms for SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) low-level data processing written in python v3 sharing the same API.
The development of SOPA is still ongoing. At the time of writing the suite includes:

• data reading with common interface for:
  • PDS Italian EDR raw data (echoes and geometric data*);
  • PDS Italian RDR focused data (echoes and geometric data*);
  • CO-SHARPS raw data (echoes and full ancillary dataset);
  • PDS US RDR focused data (echoes and geometric data**);
• an "essential" version of SOFA (SHARAD Open Focusing Attempt), a focuser that, besides standard nadir focusing, allows squinted synthetic aperture radar processing***;
• surface clutter simulators****:
  • dRSsim, a dummy radar sounder surface clutter simulator;
  • sfRSsim, an enhanced simulator using square facets that can use a cos^exp law to weight the effect of surfaces not facing the radar;
• plotting tools for quick visualization of focused radargrams, simulations, ground distance images, and first return maps superimposed to the DEM.

*Orbits extracted from PDS Italian data may be not sufficiently precise for data acquired before 2013.
**Orbits extracted from PDS US RDR data may be not sufficiently precise for supporting simulations and or focusing.
***By now, SOFA can handle only night time radargrams as no correction of ionosphere effects has been implemented yet.
****The simulation principles are similar to those described in this paper.

NOTE: This project has not been developed during my work at the University of Trento, nor it has been supported by the University of Trento in any way.

Language: python v3.5+

License:

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