NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  + Space Place en Español
Skip Navigation
Lea en Español
Play Games!
Fun Projects
Cool Animations
Cool Subjects
Amazing Facts
Space Place Friends Share
 
How does imaging radar work?
How imaging radar works

Imaging radar works by bouncing a radar signal off the ground, then measuring the strength of the signal that comes back and how long it takes. From this information, we can answer questions like:

  • Is the terrain high or low?
  • Is it wet or dry?
  • Is it rough or smooth?
  • Are the surfaces straight up and down (like walls) or slanted (like hills)?
  • Is the surface covered with grass or concrete?
Click to go back

FirstGov - Your First Click to the US Government   NASA Logo
Webmaster: Diane Fisher
Last Updated: September 08, 2005
+ Contact Space Place