JAXA and DLR initiated R&D Cooperation in Satellite Disaster Monitoring

On the occasion of JAXA-DLR Strategy Dialogue in Tokyo, Dr. Keiji Tachikawa, President of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Prof. Dr. -Ing. Johann-Dietrich Woerner, Chairman of the Executive Board of German Aerospace Center (DLR), signed today Letter of Intent (LOI) concerning Mutual cooperation for Satellite disaster monitoring.

In this LOI, both parties acknowledged the necessity to promote satellite application, especially Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, as well as related applied research, and to pursue such activities in an international manner.

In addition, both parties confirmed the mutual intention of the following R&D cooperation, using on-orbit SAR satellites, ALOS and TerraSAR-X.

(1) To start R&D cooperation toward improving response to disaster events, by seeking data product exchange possibilities from their respective SAR satellites upon requests of emergency observations,

(2) To start collaborative application research related to disaster monitoring by using L-band SAR and X-band SAR, and

(3) To start negotiation of specific terms and conditions in order to establish a concrete agreement for the implementation.