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Table of Contents
RADARSAT Systems: Satellite Characteristics
To gain more insight into the capabilities and technical aspects of the Canadian Earth Observation satellites RADARSAT-1, RADARSAT-2 and RADARSAT Constellation, below you will find an illustration and a table comparing their features in terms of system characteristics and beam modes.
System Characteristics
General
RADARSAT-1
RADARSAT-2
RADARSAT
Constellation
Constellation
High Resolution
8 m X 8 m
(stripmap mode)
(stripmap mode)
1 m X 3 m
(spotlight mode)
(spotlight mode)
1 m X 3 m
(spotlight mode)
(spotlight mode)
Total mass at launch
2,750 kg
2,200 kg
1,300 kg
Mission life
5 years
7 years
7 years
(each satellite)
(each satellite)
SAR antenna dimensions
15 m x 1.5 m
15 m x 1.5 m
6.75 m x 1.38 m
Solar arrays (each)
2.21 m x 1.32 m
3.73 m x 1.8 m
2.2 m x 1.7 m main power
(one panel vs two for RS1 and 2)
0.5 m x 1.6 m
(keep-alive power)
(one panel vs two for RS1 and 2)
0.5 m x 1.6 m
(keep-alive power)
Bus
3.55 m x 2.46 m
3.7 m x 1.36 m
Canadian SmallSat Bus
Look Direction
Right looking
Routine left- and right-looking operation
Increased re-visit time for improved monitoring efficiencies
Increased re-visit time for improved monitoring efficiencies
Right looking
Multiple satellites will eliminate need for left and right
looking to increase revisit
Multiple satellites will eliminate need for left and right
looking to increase revisit
Radar
RADARSAT-1
RADARSAT-2
Constellation RADARSAT
Active Antenna
C-Band
C-Band
C-Band
Centre Frequency
5.3 GHz
5.405 GHz
5.405 GHz
Bandwidth
30 MHz
100 MHz
100 MHz
Polarization
HH
HH, VV, HV, VH
HH, VV, HV, VH, Compact Polarimetry
Polarization Isolation
> 20 dB
> 25 dB
>28 dB
(as of latest specs)
(as of latest specs)
Aperture Length
15 m
15 m
6.75 m
Aperture width
1.5 m
1.37 m
1.38 m
Mass
679 kg
750 kg
400 kg approximate
Deployment Mechanism
Extendable support structure (ESS)
Extendable support structure (ESS)
Simple strut deployment with a kinematically
decoupled internal support structure
decoupled internal support structure
Orbit
RADARSAT-1
RADARSAT-2
Constellation RADARSAT
Altitude
793-821 km
798 km
592.7 km
Inclination
98.6 degrees
98.6 degrees
97.74 degrees
Duration of one orbit
100.7 min
100.7 min
96.4 min
Descending node
6:00 hrs.
6:00 hrs.
6:00 hrs. +/- 15 min
Ascending node
18:00 hrs.
18:00 hrs.
18:00 hrs.
Sun-synchronous
14 orbits per day
14 orbits per day
14.92 per day
Beam Modes
RADARSAT-1
Beam Modes
Nominal Swath Width
(km)
(km)
Nominal Resolution (m)
Fine
45
8
Standard
100
30
Wide
150
30
ScanSAR narrow
300
50
ScanSAR wide
500
100
Extended high incidence
75
18-27
Extended low incidence
170
30
RADARSAT-2
Beam Modes
Nominal Swath Width
(km)
(km)
Approximate Resolution
(m)*1
(m)*1
Selective Polarization
Transmit H or V receive H and/or V
Transmit H or V receive H and/or V
Fine
Standard
Low incidence
High incidence
Wide
ScanSAR narrow
ScanSAR wide
50
100
170
75
150
300
500
10 x 9
25 x 28
40 x 28
20 x 28
25 x 28
50 x 50
100 x 100
Polarimetric
Transmit H and V on alternate pulses /
receive H and V on any pulse
Transmit H and V on alternate pulses /
receive H and V on any pulse
Fine Quad-pol
Standard Quad-pol
25
25
11 x 9
25 x 28
Selective Single Polarization
Transmit H or V receive H or V
Transmit H or V receive H or V
Ultra-Fine
Spotlight
Multi-Look Fine
20
18
50
3 x 3
3 x 1
11 x 9
*1: Ground range by azimuth
RADARSAT Constellation
Beam Modes
Nominal Swath Width
(km)
(km)
Approximate Resolution (m)
Low Resolution
Medium Resolution (Maritime)
Medium Resolution (Land)
Medium Resolution (Land)
High Resolution
Very High Resolution
Ice/Oil Low Noise
25 m ship mode
Spotlight mode
500
350
30
125
30
20
350
350
5
100 x 100
50 x 50
16 x 16
30 x 30
5 x 5
3 x 3
100 x 100
Variable
1 x 3
