[PDF] A Strategy for Active Remote Sensing amid Increased Demand for Radio Spectrum and Medicine Engineering National Academies of Sciences; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; Board on Physics and Astronomy; Committee on a Survey of the Active Sensing Uses of the Radio Spectrum

Active remote sensing is the principal tool used to study and to predict short- and long-term changes in the environment of Earth – the atmosphere, the oceans and the land surfaces – as well as the near space environment of Earth. All of these measurements are essential to understanding terrestrial weather, climate change, space weather hazards, and threats from asteroids. Active remote sensing measurements are of inestimable benefit to society, as we pursue the development of a technological civilization that is economically viable, and seek to maintain the quality of our life. A Strategy for Active Remote Sensing Amid Increased Demand for Spectrum describes the threats, both current and future, to the effective use of the electromagnetic spectrum required for active remote sensing. This report offers specific recommendations for protecting and making effective use of the spectrum required for active remote sensing.