Radarsat
Full Name: Radar Satellite
Phase: Past
Launch Date: November 04, 1995
Mission Project Home Page: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCatalog.do?sc=1995-059A
Canada's Radarsat is a radar satellite featuring variable resolution, and different view angles at a number of preset positions. This sophisticated remote sensing satellite is a Canadian-led project involving the United States. It will carry a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a powerful microwave instrument that can transmit and receive signals to "see" through clouds and darkness, obtaining detailed images of the Earth. This will provide significant advantages in viewing under conditions that preclude observation by aircraft or optical satellites. RADARSAT collects data on resource management, ice, ocean and environmental monitoring and Arctic and off-shore surveillance. RADARSAT also supports fishing, shipping, oil exploration, offshore drilling and ocean research. The RADARSAT provides complete global coverage with the flexibility to support specific requirements.
The Radar Satellite (RADARSAT) was a joint Canada (Canadian Space Agency/Canada Center for Remote Sensing) and United States (NASA) project. RADARSAT was designed to provide detailed information on sea ice and terrestrial ice sheets for climate research, to produce radar imagery for geographical applications in oceanography, agriculture, forestry, hydrology, and geology, and to provide real-time products for arctic ocean navigation including ice surveillance. RADARSAT was also designed to provide data products for commercial applications such as fishing, shipping, oil exploration, offshore oil drilling, and resource managment. RADARSAT carried an advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) operating at 5.3 GHz (C-band). The RADARSAT spacecraft consisted of two major components: the spacecraft bus and the payload module. The spacecraft bus, built by Ball Aerospace, consisted of the structure power units, solar arrays, attitude control, propulsion deck, and telemetry, tracking, and command systems.
Mission Statistics:
- Country of Origin Canada
- Customer/User Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
- Manufacturer(s)
- SPAR Aerospace, Ball Space Systems
- Size 1.2 meter cube, antenna 1.5 x 15 meters
- Orbit Sun-synchronous 793x821 km; incl.= 98.6 degrees; period=101 min.
- Design Life 5 years
- Related Sites Radarsat
- Launch Date/Time: 1995-11-04 at 14:22:00 UTC On-orbit Dry Mass: 2713 kg Nominal Power Output: 2500 W