• Skip to main content

Geo

Satellite Imagery Specialists

  • Request Quote
  • Login
  • About
    • Our Company
    • Image Gallery
    • FAQs
    • Contact
  • Industry
    • Mining & Exploration
    • Infrastructure
    • Agriculture
    • Environment
    • Government
  • Products & Services
    • atlasTSF
    • InSAR (Surface Movement Monitoring)
    • Digital Elevation Models (DSM & DTM)
    • Geophysical Interpretation
    • Monitoring & Compliance
    • groundWATCH
    • Software
    • Imagery
    • Spectral Analysis (SWIR)
    • Image Processing & Data Analytics
    • Web Hosted Dashboards & Services
  • Partners
  • Media Hub
    • Latest News & Blogs
    • Publications & Media
  • Satellites & Sensors
    • Pléiades Neo
    • WorldView Legion
    • GeoEye-1
    • WorldView-1
    • WorldView-2
    • WorldView-3
    • WorldView-4
    • Pléiades
    • SPOT 6
    • SPOT 7
    • RapidEye
    • Landsat 7
    • Landsat 8
    • Sentinel 2A & 2B
    • ASTER (Terra)
    • Radarsat 1 & 2
    • TerraSAR-X
    • ALOS – 1&2
    • Sentinel 1A & 1B
  • Technical Resources
    • Case Studies
    • eBooks
  • Contact

Radarsat 1 & 2

download fact sheet

The RADARSAT project, led by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), was built on the development of remote sensing technologies and applications carried out by the Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS).

 

RADARSAT-1

Spaceborne SAR remote sensing took a giant leap forward with the launch of the RADARSAT-1 satellite on 5th November 1995. This was Canada’s first commercial Earth observation satellite.

Although the satellite’s orbit repeat cycle is 24 days, the flexibility of the steerable radar beam gives RADARSAT-1 the ability to image regions much more frequently and to address specific geographic requests for data acquisition. RADARSAT-1’s orbit is optimised for frequent coverage of mid-latitude to polar regions and even at equatorial latitudes, complete coverage can be obtained within six days.

RADARSAT-1 can be captured in both descending mode during the local day and ascending mode during the local night.

Features and Benefits

  • RADARSAT-1 transmits and receives radar waves horizontally to the ground target.
  • Radar provides an ability to see clearer and distinct detail that optical imagery can overlook.
  • Valuable for mapping land structural features such as faults, folds and lineaments.
  • Ability to monitor disasters such as oil spills, floods and earthquakes.
  • Data captured in both descending mode during local day and ascending mode during local night.

Technical Specifications (RADARSAT-1)

Specification

Details

Modes

Fine

Standard

Wide

ScanSAR Narrow

ScanSAR Wide

Extended High Incidence

Extended Low Incidence

Nominal resolution

Fine: 8m

Standard: 30m

Wide: 30m

ScanSAR Narrow: 50m

ScanSAR Wide: 100m

Extended High Incidence: 25m

Extended Low Incidence: 30m

Swath Width

Fine: 50km

Standard: 100km

Wide: 150km

ScanSAR Narrow: 300km

ScanSAR Wide: 500km

Extended High Incidence: 75km

Extended Low Incidence: 175km

Incidence Angle

Fine: 37-48 degrees

Standard: 20-49 degrees

Wide: 20-45 degrees

ScanSAR Narrow: 20-46 degrees

ScanSAR Wide: 20-49 degrees

Extended High Incidence: 40-59 degrees

Extended Low Incidence: 10-23 degrees

Band

C-Band

Polarisation

HH

Nominal Look Direction

Right

RADARSAT-2

RADARSAT-2, Canada’s next generation commercial SAR satellite, was launched on 14th December 2007 and constructed under a collaboration between the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd (MDA).

Like RADARSAT-1, RADARSAT-2 can be captured in both descending mode during the local day and ascending mode during the local night.

Figure Above: Comparison of RADARSAT-1 & RADARSAT-2 transmission and receiving planes (ResearchGate 2015).

Features and Benefits

  • RADARSAT-2 can transmit and receive waves in in the horizontal and vertical polarization plains. This allows for calculation of the phase.
  • Further enhanced accuracy and detail of radar imagery following from RADARSAT-1.
  • Advanced C-band.
  • Ultra-Fine and ScanSAR Wide swathing.
  • Can benefit the management and monitoring of ice, marine environment, disasters, hydrology, mapping, geology, agriculture and forestry.
  • Reduces planning times for data acquisition.
  • Data captured in both descending mode during local day and ascending mode during local night.

Technical Specifications (RADARSAT-2)

Specification

Details

Modes

Single Polarisation only (HH or HV or VH or VV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single (HH or VH or HV or VV) or Dual Polarisation (HH + HV or VH + VV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quad Polarisation (HH + HV + VH +VV)

 

Spotlight

Ultra-Fine

Wide Ultra-Fine

Extra-Fine

Multi-Look Fine

Wide Multi-Look Fine

Ship Detection

 

Fine      

Wide Fine

Standard

Wide

ScanSAR Narrow

ScanSAR Wide  

Ocean Surveillance

Extended High Incidence

Extended Low Incidence

 

Fine Quad-Pol

Wide Fine Quad-Pol

Standard Quad-Pol

Wide Standard Quad-Pol

Nominal Resolution

Single Polarisation only (HH or HV or VH or VV) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single (HH or VH or HV or VV) or Dual Polarisation (HH + HV or VH + VV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quad Polarisation (HH + HV + VH +VV)

 

Spotlight: 1m

Ultra Fine: 3m

Wide Ultra Fine: 3m

Extra Fine: 5m

Multi-Look Fine: 8m

Wide Multi-Look Fine: 8m

Ship Detection: Variable

 

Fine: 8m

Wide Fine: 8m

Standard: 25m

Wide: 25m

ScanSAR Narrow: 50m

ScanSAR Wide: 100m

Ocean Surveillance: Variable

Extended High Incidence: 25m

Extended Low Incidence: 60m

 

Fine Quad-Pol: 12m

Wide Fine Quad-Pol: 12m

Standard Quad-Pol: 25m

Wide Standard Quad-Pol: 25m

 

Nominal Swatch Width

Single Polarisation only (HH or HV or VH or VV) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single (HH or VH or HV or VV) or Dual Polarisation (HH + HV or VH + VV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quad Polarisation (HH + HV + VH +VV)

 

Spotlight: 18km

Ultra-Fine: 20km

Wide Ultra-Fine : 50km

Extra-Fine: 125km

Multi-Look Fine: 50km

Wide Multi-look Fine: 90km

Ship Detection: 450km

 

Fine: 50km

Wide Fine: 150km

Standard: 100km

Wide: 150km

ScanSAR Narrow: 300km

ScanSAR Wide: 500km

Ocean Surveillance: 530km

Extended High Incidence: 75km

Extended Low Incidence: 170km

 

Fine Quad-Pol: 25km

Wide Fine Quad-Pol: 50km

Standard Quad-Pol: 25km

Wide Standard Quad-Pol: 50km

Incidence Angle

Spotlight: 20-59 degrees

Ultra Fine: 20-59 degrees

Multi-Look Fine: 30-50 degrees

Fine: 37-47 degrees

Standard: 24-49 degrees

Wide: 20-45 degrees

ScanSAR Narrow: 20-46 degrees

ScanSAR Wide: 20-46 degrees

Extended High Incidence: 49-60 degrees

Extended Low Incidence: 10-23 degrees

Fine Quad-Polarisation: 18-49 degrees

Standard Quad-Polarisation: 18-49 degrees

Nominal Look Direction

Left and Right

Major Partners

About

  • Our Company
  • Image Gallery
  • FAQs
  • Contact

Industry

  • Mining & Exploration
  • Infrastructure
  • Agriculture
  • Environment
  • Government

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

  • atlasTSF
  • Digital Elevation Models (DSM & DTM)
  • Geophysical Interpretation
  • groundWATCH
  • Imagery
  • Image Processing & Data Analytics
  • InSAR (Surface Movement Monitoring)
  • Monitoring & Compliance
  • Software
  • Spectral Analysis (SWIR)
  • Web Hosted Dashboards & Services

MEDIA HUB

  • Latest News & Blogs
  • Publications & Media

TECHNICAL RESOURCES

  • Case Studies
  • eBooks
  • Request Quote
  • Login

© 2022 Geoimage

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Website by Anchor Digital