Perth will host one of the international synthetic aperture radar community’s premier technical gatherings later this year.
The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Calibration and Validation Workshop 2026 will take place at CSIRO’s Australian Resources Research Centre (ARRC) from 30 November to 4 December 2026.
The workshop, being co-hosted by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia, will bring together experts from space agencies, industry and academia to discuss advances in SAR calibration, validation methods and emerging applications.
The event aims to provide an open forum for technical exchange on SAR system performance, calibration infrastructure, cross-comparison activities and future mission requirements.
CEOS has a rotating leadership model, with Australia currently at the helm for 2026. ‘Team Australia’ comprises CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology, and is led by CSIRO’s Dr Alex Held.
Australia’s growing global role in SAR
Calibration and validation underpin the accuracy and reliability of satellite data and products used for applications ranging from surface movement monitoring and biomass estimation through to soil moisture mapping, ocean observations and disaster response.
As the number of satellite SAR missions continues to grow, ensuring consistency and traceability across systems has become increasingly important for both scientific and operational users.
Bringing this annual workshop to Australia highlights the country’s growing role in the global SAR calibration and validation community.
Australia’s extensive network of calibration infrastructure, stable environmental conditions and strong partnerships between government, research organisations and international space agencies make it an attractive location for advancing SAR measurement quality and interoperability.
Read more about Australia’s calibration/validation ecosystem: Strengthening Australia’s commercial EO sector
Workshop abstract deadline approaching
The workshop program will include topics spanning calibration of current and future SAR missions, calibration targets and test sites, processing algorithms, InSAR verification, polarimetry, AI-enabled system monitoring, cross-calibration activities and Analysis Ready Data products.
Emerging areas such as calibration of airborne and UAV SAR systems, digital beamforming architectures, and geophysical applications of SAR data will also be covered.
Abstract submissions are open until 11 September 2026, with registration remaining open until 8 November 2026.
Find out more at https://events.csiro.au/Events/2026/June/11/CEOS-SAR-2026.
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