Launched in December 2007, Canada’s next-generation commercial radar satellite offers powerful technical advancements that will enhance marine surveillance, ice monitoring, disaster management, environmental monitoring, resource management and mapping in Canada and around the world.
This project represents a unique collaboration between government and industry. MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. MDA will own and operate the satellite and ground segment. The Canadian Space Agency CSA helps fund the construction and launch of the satellite and will recover this investment through the supply of RADARSAT2 data to the Government of Canada GC during the lifetime of the mission.
Radarsat-2 Beam Modes:
| Beam modes | Nominal swath width (km) | Resolution (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Selective Single or Dual Polarization Transmit H and/or V, receive H and/or V |
||
| Fine | 50 | 8 |
| Wide Fine | 150 | 8 |
| Standard | 100 | 25 |
| Wide | 150 | 25 |
| ScanSAR Narrow | 300 | 50 |
| ScanSAR Wide | 500 | 100 |
| Ocean Surveillance | 530 | Variable |
| Polarimetric Transmit H and V on alternate pulses / receive H and V on any pulse |
||
| Fine Quad-Pol | 25 | 12 |
| Wide Fine Quad-Pol | 50 | 12 |
| Standard Quad-Pol | 25 | 25 |
| Wide Standard Quad-Pol | 50 | 25 |
| Single Polarization HH Transmit H, receive H |
||
| Extended High | 75 | 25 |
| Extended Low | 170 | 60 |
| Selective Single Polarization Transmit H or V, receive H or V |
||
| Spotlight | 18 | 1 |
| Ultra-Fine | 20 | 3 |
| Wide Ultra-Fine | 50 | 3 |
| Extra-Fine | 125 | 5 |
| Multi-Look Fine | 50 | 8 |
| Wide Multi-Look Fine | 90 | 8 |
RADARSAT-2 demonstrates the Canadian space community’s leadership in developing remote sensing technology and applications. With state-of-the-art technology, it is one of the world’s most advanced commercially available Earth observation radar image providers and offers users around the world an expanded range of high-quality data products for hundreds of applications.
For more information:http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/radarsat2/default.asp
General
| RADARSAT-2 | |
|---|---|
| High Resolution | 1 m X 3 m (stripmap mode) |
| Total mass at launch | 2 200 kg |
| Mission life | 7 years |
| SARantenna dimensions | 15 m x 1,5 m |
| Solar arrays (each) | 3,73 m x 1,8 m |
| Bus | 3,7 m x 1,36 m |
| Look Direction |
Routine left- and right-looking operation |
Radar
| RADARSAT-2 | |
|---|---|
| Active Antenna | C-Band |
| Centre Frequency | 5,405 GHz |
| Bandwidth | 100 MHz |
| SAR antenna dimensions | 15 m x 1,5 m |
| Polarization | HH, VV, HV, VH |
| Polarization Isolation | > 25 dB |
| Aperture Length | 15 m |
| Aperture width | 1.37 m |
| Mass | 750 kg |
| Deployment Mechanism | Extendable support structure (ESS) |
Orbit
| RADARSAT-2 | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 798 km |
| Inclination | 98,6 degrees |
| Duration of one orbit | 100.7 min |
| Descending node | 6 hrs. |
| Ascending node | 18 hrs. |
| Sun-synchronous | 14 orbits per day |
