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RADAM PROJECT 
  
Positive results obtained in the test-sites with the 
"n 
images and "signatures" produced by various airborne sensors used 
for the SERE. PROJECT, encourage our Government to employ some re- 
mote sensors in the surveying and resources inventory of the Ama- 
zon Basin. 
RADAR remote sensor was, though, elected as the main 
probe, not only because of its efficiency in daylight time as well 
as at night, and its capability to produce images regardless of 
cloud coverage, fog, haze, etc., but also in view of the features 
emphasized by a RADAR image, particularly the drainage, the topo- 
graphy and the geologic structures, in spite of the dense vegeta- 
tion that: can still be recognized an ‘even classified as to nature, 
species, age, volume, etc. 
At that time (1971), -a very special and highly profi 
cient tipe of RADAR Active Remote Sensor was just being declassi- 
fied by the U.S.Government and could be selected as the ideal one 
for such a broad, urgent and complex enterprise - the RADAM PRO- 
JECT. We are talking about the Synthetic Aperture Side-Looking - 
Airborne RADAR, produced by GOOD YEAR Aero Space Division , to 
operate in the X-band of the E.M.Spectrum (3 cm wavelenghth, 9600 
MHz of frequency); this is the only RADAR imaging sensor that can 
produce neat images from altitudes higher than 6.000 m. 
This peculiarity of the synthetic aperture remote - 
sensor encouraged the use of a CARAVELLE to carry / the desired sen 
sors, taking into account that such an aircraft cauld fly up in 
the tropopause, above most of the cloud coverages, developing a 
cruising speediof 750 to°800 km/h, at a flight height of 11000 m 
above the terrain mean level, so that turbulances might be reduced 
to:a minimum. 
From such an altitude, a strip of terrain 37 km wide 
could be covered, and by flying lines approximately 15' (27 km) - 
apart, a 25% side-lap could be achieved.