Operational qualification of RADARSAT

Abstract

The RADARSAT system is declared operational following months of on-orbit testing of the satellite along with operational demonstrations. The system consists of the first Canadian Earth observation satellite, RADARSAT-1 and its associated ground elements such as for the control and programming of the spacecraft and the payload (C-band, HH polarization, Synthetic Aperture Radar - SAR) and for the reception, processing, archiving, and calibration of the SAR data. The system includes order desks for entering user requests for new SAR acquisitions or processing archived SAR data. RADARSAT-1 was launched on November 4, 1995 in a polar, sun-synchronous, dawn-dusk orbit by a Delta II rocket contributed by NASA. Subsequently, the solar arrays and the SAR antenna were deployed and thrusters were fired to attain the required 24 days repeat orbit. The RADARSAT SAR provides many beams or modes operationally in terms of resolution (from 10m to 100m), incidence angle (less than 20° to more than 50°), and swath width (from 45 km to 500 km) and each of these were gradually tested. The SAR performance and the procedures for end-to-end system operations, including those for processing of user request and delivery of SAR data to users were qualified through demonstrations. Consequently, with the commencement of the RADARSAT-1 operations phase, the system is operationally supplying global SAR data for a variety of applications in accordance with the needs of the world-wide user community. A summary of commissioning activities undertaken to qualify the RADARSAT system for operations is presented along with an overview of the RADARSAT Program.