Satellite and Their Specification

S K Diwakar

RADARSAT Satellites and Their Specification

RADARSAT is Canada's first series of sophisticated Earth observation satellites.

RADARSAT-1 was launched in 1995 and RADARSAT-2, in 2007. Both are equipped

with advanced radar sensors called a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). The SAR is a

powerful microwave instrument that transmits and receives signals to "see"

through clouds, haze, smoke, and darkness, and obtains high quality images of the

Earth in all weather, day or night. This provides significant advantages in viewing

the Earth under conditions that preclude observation by aircraft or optical

satellites.

RADARSAT has the unique ability to shape and steer its radar beam over an area

of up to 500 km in width. Users can select images from a variety of radar beam

selections with resolutions from a few meters up to 100 m. The Canadian Data

Processing Facility can deliver radar images to users within hours of the actual

data collection. Mission planners at the Canadian Space Agency prioritize

customer orders and develop plans for data acquisition, onboard recorder usage,

data reception, data processing and/or archiving.

The RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) consists of a three-spacecraft fleet

of Earth observation satellites. With satellites smaller than RADARSAT-2, the RCM

will provide new applications—made possible through the constellation

approach—as well as continuing to provide C band radar data to RADARSAT-

2 users. Improvements include more frequent area coverage of Canada and

reduced risk of a service interruption. The launch of the three satellites that will

form the constellation is scheduled for 2016-17.

Satellite and Their Specification

S K Diwakar

Specification

RADARSAT 1 RADARSAT 2 RADARSAT

CONSTELLATION

Launch date November 1995

December 2007

Scheduled for 2016-17

Owenr Canadian Space Agency

MDA MDA

Design Life 5 Years 7 Years 7 Years (each)

Altitude 793-821 km 798 km 592.7 km

Inclination 98.6 degrees 98.6 degrees 97.74 degrees

Orbit duration 100.7 min 100.7 min 96.4 min

Orbit Sun-Synchronous

Bandwidth 30 MHz 100 MHz 100 MHz

Imaging

Frequency C-Band; 5.3 GHz.

C-Band; 5.405

GHz. C-Band; 5.405 GHz.

Spatial Resolution 8 to 100 meters

(Stripmap Mode)

1 to 100 meters

(Spotlight Mode)

1 to 100 meters

(Spotlight Mode)

Beam Modes 7 12 12

Polarization Channels

HH HH, VV, HV,

VH HH, VV, HV, VH,

Compact Polarimetry

Look Direction Right Right & Left Right & Left

SAR Antenna Dimensions

15 m x 1.5 m 15 m x 1.5 m 6.75 m x 1.38 m

Mass 679 kg 750 kg 400 kg

Deployment

Mechanism Extendable

Support Structure (ESS)

Extendable

Support Structure

(ESS)

Simple strut

deployment with a

kinematically decoupled internal support

structure