An Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR), operating at C-band, ASAR ensures continuity with the image mode (SAR) and the wave mode of the ERS-1/2 AMI. It features enhanced capability in terms of coverage, range of incidence angles, polarisation, and modes of operation. This enhanced capability is provided by significant differences in the instrument design: a full active array antenna equipped with distributed transmit/receive modules which provides distinct transmit and receive beams, a digital waveform generation for pulse "chirp" generation, a block adaptive quantisation scheme, and a ScanSAR mode of operation by beam scanning in elevation.
Status
Operational
Type
Imaging microwave radars
Technical Characteristics
Accuracy
Radiometric resolution in range: 1.5-3.5 dB
Spatial Resolution
Image, Wave and Alternating Polarisation modes: approx 30m x 30m. Wide Swath mode: approx 150m x 150m. Global Monitoring mode: approx 1000m x 1000m.
Swath Width
Image and alternating polarisation modes: up to 100km, Wave mode: 5km, Wide swath and global monitoring modes: 400km or more
Waveband
Microwave: C-band, with choice of 5 polarisation modes (VV, HH, VV/HH, HV/HH, or VH/VV)
Applications
Ocean and Coast (Ocean Currents and Topography)
Land (Landscape Topography)
Snow and Ice (Snow and Ice)
EO Data Access
