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umbra-py

Search, preview, load, and convert Umbra open SAR data.

Umbra publishes 16–25 cm SAR as CC BY 4.0 open data, but no search API — only a static STAC tree on S3. umbra-py is that layer, so the archive feels as approachable as Sentinel-1 or Landsat. A community STAC API (umbra serve) and MCP server sit on the same host.

Try it now — no install

Browse and search the whole open archive from your browser in the live showcase: a zoomable whole-catalog map and an interactive explorer, hosted on GitHub Pages, no account or download required. Build your own with umbra showcase.

Status

v0.1.2. Discovery, download, xarray loading, SICD → geocoded COG, change composites, chips, a STAC API (umbra serve, hosted at https://api.umbra-py.space/), and an MCP server all ship. This is not an InSAR toolbox — see limitations. Not affiliated with Umbra Lab, Inc.

What it gives you

  • Discovery — search Umbra's 17+ TB static STAC catalog by area, date, and product type, by place name, or by polygon — no search API required. Build a local SQLite index (or fetch the prebuilt weekly snapshot) for near-instant offline repeats.
  • Download — resume-safe HTTPS downloads with integrity verification.
  • Convert — turn a complex SICD product into a map-ready, geocoded cloud-optimized GeoTIFF (umbra convert). Amplitude only — phase is discarded. Optional DEM terrain orthorectification, geoid correction, and radiometric terrain flattening. For phase-preserving SICD/CPHD download, see Complex products.
  • Load — read a clipped/decimated scene straight into xarray.
  • Visualize — interactive Folium maps, HTML thumbnail galleries, full-res browser viewers, before/after swipes, change composites, and time scans.
  • ML prep — cut scenes into georeferenced training chips with metadata.
  • AI-native surfaces — an MCP server (umbra-mcp), a read-only STAC API (umbra serve, hosted at https://api.umbra-py.space/), native LangChain / LlamaIndex tools, plus model-backed natural-language search, scene description, and visual similarity.

Next steps

License & attribution

umbra-py is Apache-2.0. Umbra's open imagery is licensed CC BY 4.0 — attribute "Umbra Lab, Inc." when you publish derived products. This is an independent, unofficial toolkit and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Umbra Lab, Inc.