The data has a variety of uses in scientific disciplines ranging from hydrology, geology and archaeology to ecology and studies of urban development and its impact on the environment. Some of the radar mission's civilian and commercial uses are benefiting the transportation industry, as well as the communications and information technologies markets. In telecommunications, wireless service providers and operators are particularly interested in this digital elevation data. Topographic data can be used for building better transceiver stations, identifying the best geographic locations for cellular telephone towers and having the best terrain data to go by for planning and construction. In fact, just about any industry that requires accurate digital elevation and topographic data stands to benefit from this mission.
Geodetic surveying is the main type of field work currently being carried out.
Scientists use a method called Kinematic Global Positioning System surveying. This method facilitates the very rapid long lines of precise positions from a moving vehicle. The actual survey work is being conducted by several entities, including private contractors, NIMA geodesists and JPL scientists. In all, about 70,000 kilometers of survey lines will be collected in support of this mission. The data is being used to model long-wavelength error sources in the data.