Later this year, a space shuttle mission is scheduled to be launched from Cape Canaveral, carrying a NIMA payload to compile digital terrain and elevation data at 30-meter post spacing over 80 percent of the Earth. Known as the shuttle radar topography mission, the payload comprises a spaceborne imaging radar and an X-band synthetic aperture radar. Data processing is expected to take about two years, and data formats are designed to be compatible with standard software and terrain analysis programs tailored to civil, military and scientific users. The agency's controlled image base is vital to scene visualization for mission planning systems used by U.S. forces. This imagery is fused with geospatial information to generate scene visualization data.
Imagery intelligence is added to produce custom-tailored products, whether digital or hard copy.
The goal is to allow users to determine their own format in headquarters or field locations. NIMA provided a variety of products for the Kosovo operation. Planning maps featured place names listed in both Albanian and Serbian. The agency also employed its controlled imagery to support mission planning. It developed more than 1,200 fixed targets for pilots and commanders, including precise points for precision guided munitions and target graphics illustrating collateral damage.