**4.1 Satellite transit inquiry module**

With the development of astronavigation, the number of satellites installed with SAR sensors is increasing. Facing with so many satellites with different purposes, it has become a tough problem for clients to judge and select what they want quickly. RS-MSR sets up a real-time satellite coverage inquiry system including the commonly used satellites around the world, such as RadarSat, Envisat, ERS, CosmoSAR, TerraSAR, helping clients to retrieve quickly the crossing time and the orbit data of these satellites at specific area.

#### **4.2 Ship detection module**

Ship detection module is the core unit of the whole RS-MSR system. Using the micro-area images of distressed areas supplied by way of satellite, it can detect and monitor the ships and the accidental areas, supplying clue of the distressed ship for search and rescue and helping to determine the areas quickly. This module consists three parts including: (1) ship detection; (2) ship classification/identification; and (3) ship direction and course estimation.

#### **4.3 Sea state analysis module**

Sea state analysis module can perform initial analysis on the situation of the distressed area by estimating the wave direction and supply foundation for search and rescue decision, which is useful for estimating the floating direction and location of the distressed ships.

Remote Sensing Application in the Maritime Search and Rescue 399

1 2008-09-30, 13:53:24 14:00 L, 431cm 10:00 L, 105cm/s 2 2008-10-08, 01:50:45 02:00 L, 244cm 10:00 L, 105cm/s 3 2008-10-10, 13:39:00 14:00 L, 303cm 22:00 L, -076cm/s 4 2008-10-19, 13:56:17 14:00 L, 246cm 22:00 L, 077cm/s

Data: ASA\_APP\_1PNBEI20081019\_135613\_000000202073\_00082\_34705\_4038.N1

**Upper Right longitude**

**Upper Left latitude**

H/HV 82 596 122.167 122.921 31.6478 30.7285 S7 Descending 2008-10-19

The radar data and AIS data are received from the VTS center of Shanghai port. Fig. 9 is the VTS shore-based radar detection picture simultaneously at the acquisition time of the remote sensing data. The VTS report shows the name and position of all the vessels equipped with AIS in the Yangtze River estuary. The Radar data and AIS data provide a

Fig. 9. The VTS report at the passing time of the satellite (2008-10-19, 13:56:17 UTC)

**Lower Right latitude**

**Swath Passing direction** 

**Start Date /Time (UTC)** 

13:56:18.802

**(UTC) Tide reference (Jigujiao) Flow reference (Xinkaihe)** 


Table 4. The hydrological information in the experiment

**Lower Left longitude**

Table 5. The detail information of the remote sensing data

reference for the performance analysis of the system experiment.

**No. Experiment Time** 

**5.2.1 The remote sensing data** 

The detail information is listed in Table 5.

Polarization Mode: HH/HV

**5.2.2 The VTS reference data** 

**Mode Track Frame**

APP\_H

#### **4.4 Integrated processing module**

The integrated processing module is mainly used for follow up processes of the detection result and search and rescue assisting forecast. It has two main functions. Firstly, search and rescue range estimation. According to the current location, navigation direction and the wave direction, estimate the potential searching areas of the distressed ship under the settled speed of the ship and velocity of flow. Secondly, ship location correction. Combine the satellite parameter to revise the error caused by slant-range projection imaging of the SAR images. The analysis data obtained by way of integrated processing module can be saved as \*.dat or \*.mat form and transmitted to marine department and the rescue spot, supplying assistant for the rescue areas determination.
