Roadmaps
This page highlights the main planned evolutions of the Sentinel-1 processing baseline.
2025 May - Calibration of Sentinel-1 C products
As the S1C In Orbit Commissionning is successfull, we will deploy the S1 IPF and S1 SETAP configuration enabling a first calibration of the Sentinel-1 Level-1 and Level-2 products.
This update of calibration will be performed by steps:
Step 1: -> Done on May 12th 2025
- update of SETAP configuration (through AUX_ITC update) enabling to document proper range and azimuth bias in the SETAP products without changing the Level-1 configuration
Step 2:
- activation of geodetic/geocentric correction through update of AUX_PP1 (requires an update of processor)
Step 3:
- update of S1 IPF configuration (through AUX_INS, AUX_PP1 and AUX_CAL) for compensation of range and azimuth bias in Level 1 processing, set the proper calibration constant and noise calibration constant, improve the azimuth and elevation antenna pattern.
Done by successive updates on 2025-05-19 and 2025-05-21 - update of SETAP configuration (though AUX_ITC update) for zero bias on range and azimuth (as the calibration will be performed as part of L1 processor).
Done on 2025-05-19
2025 - Access to ADF on SAR-MPC web site
The access to Sentinel-1 Auxiliary Data Files was removed from our web site on December 2024.
It is planned to provide this access again in first quarter of 2025.
2025 - IPF 004.00
Update of Sentinel-1 IPF (SAR Processor) to version 004.00.
The changes introduced with this version are under consolidation.
2025 - Sample data set of calibrated RVL
The Sentinel-1A and 1B RVL measurement provided in Level 2 products is currently not calibrated.
We are working toward a post processing calibration of this RVL measurement.
We plan to publish a sample data set of calibrated RVL information. However, this data set will not be provided in the exact same format as the current Level 2 products.
2025 - Annotation of cross spectra on TOPS products
The Sentinel-1 Level 2 processor currently does not compute swell information on the TOPS products (IW and EW).
Activities are ongoing for the computation of cross spectra on the TOPS products. This additional information is planned to be made available in the Level 2 products and supported by a specific version of the Level 2 processor.
Providing the TOPS cross spectra will be an intermediate step toward provision of swell information for TOPS modes.
2025 - Annual Performance Report 2024
The Sentinel-1 Annual Performance Report is delivered to ESA within the first month of each year.
It was published on Senti Wiki after review and approval by ESA on Sentiwiki [link to annual performance report on Sentiwiki]
December 2024 - Start of Sentinel-1C In Orbit Commissioning
We are waiting for the launch of Sentinel-1C to start our tasks of support to the Sentinel-1C In Orbit Commissioning (IOC).
The IOC is focusing on the validation of the instrument performances that is not on our responsibility. However we provide a support during this phase on the quality control, validation and calibration of the products.
November 2024 - IPF 3.90
This version of the SAR processor is introducing series of updates and corrections on the Level 1 and Level 2 processing. The full description of changes introduced in this version is provided the List of IPF versions.
For what concerns the performances of the products nominally processed, the main updates are:
Level 1 update
- correction of invalid BurstIDs in SLC products for acquisitions close the ascending node.
Level 2 updates:
- robustification of the RVL and OSW processing that should be associated to smaller number of WV imagettes with fill values.
- OSW (swell):
- Update of Total Hs implementation (OSW), now based on a variant of a (Quach, et. al. 2020) but with the main difference that CWAVE parameters are derived from cartesian cross spectra. The longitude, latitude, imaginary part of cross spectra are not used.
- New tuning of the RAR MTF to remove wind dependencies.
- Correction of Strip Map OCN OSW Geolocation grid
- RVL:
- Correction on TOPS RVL grid timing
- OWI:
- Correction of Heading computation (correction of wind artefact on few products, for instance in Alboran Sea)
Spring 2024 - IPF 3.80 and update of L2 configuration
Update of Sentinel-1 IPF (SAR processor) to version 3.80.
This version of the processor will introduce changes of product format described in the Sentinel-1 product specification (version 3.13) available Here
The following main changes will be introduced:
- Change of AUX_SCS format and content to improve swell retrieval
- Introduce AUX_ML2 to share the Machine Learning Model used by the Level 2 processor
- Update of AUX_PP2 to stop computing L2 variables on WV imagettes over land
- Correction of denoising of WV imagettes during the Swell inversion process (for OSW/WindSpeed computation), OWI module is unchanged
The details of the IPF update will be made available on Web page on list of IPF versions after its deployment
The details of the ADF update will be made available on Web page on list of AUX_CAL as part of their deployment.
April 2024 - Publication of Annual Performance Report for 2023
The annual performance report for 2023 was published and is available in the Sentinel-1 document library.
April 2024 - Improved reporting on RFI mitigation
The percentage of products for which the RFI mitigation was activated by the processor is now part of the N-Cyclic Performance reports available in the Sentinel-1 document library.
March 2024 - Improved monitoring of orbit and burst synchronisation
Up to now, the orbit and burst synchronisation was monitored for each cycle vs a reference cycle at the beginning of the mission.
This monitoring is now performed as well vs the previous cycle to better better reflect the synchronization needs of end-users.
The results are exposed in the N-Cyclic Performance reports and annual performance report available in the Sentinel-1 document library
March 2024 - Recalibration of IW and EW denoising vectors
Update of AUX_CAL for both S1A and S1B.
This update only includes a change of the noiseCalibrationFactor for the TOPS modes (EW and IW).
The details of the ADF update will be made available on Web page on ADF versions as part of their deployment.
End of 2023 - IPF 3.70
Update of Sentinel-1 IPF (SAR processor) to version 3.70.
This version of the processor will introduce changes of product format described in the Sentinel-1 product specification (version 3.12) available Here
The following main changes will be introduced:
- ensure support of S1C and S1D
- correction of annotation of ANX time
- correction of impact of RFI on denoising vectors
- correction of annotation of line number of range denoising vectors for TOPS/SLC products (the azimuth time was correct). Refer to quality disclaimers 117 and 118.
The details of the update will be made available on Web page on list of IPF versions after its deployment
End of 2022 - IPF 3.60
Update of Sentinel-1 IPF (SAR processor) to version 3.60.
This version of the processor will introduce changes of product format described in the Sentinel-1 product specification (version 3.12) available Here
The following main changes will be introduced:
- general improvment of robustness of the processing (Level 1 and Level 2)
- ensure complete coverage in range of the denoising vectors for GRD products
- annotation of the complete set of Level 0 products used as input of the processing
- adding some additional global variables in the Level 2 NetCDF content
- using a new coastline in the Level 2 processing (OpenStreetMap instead of GSHHS)
- introducing quicklooks of Level2 Wind and Radial Velocity Measurements for TOPS and Stripmap products
Sample products will be made available before the deployment of this version of the processor.
The details of the update will be made available on Web page on list of IPF versions after its deployment
January 2023 - Annual Performance Report
The SAR MPC will publish the Sentinel-1 Annual Performance Report for 2022.
This document provide a summary of the yearly performances of the Sentinel-1 mission.
The corresponding documents for the years 2015 up to now are available from this web site or from the Sentinel-1 SAR Document Library
First part of 2023 - IPF 3.70
Update of Sentinel-1 IPF (SAR processor) to version 3.70
This version of the processor will introduce changes required to support Sentinel-1C.