RADARSAT-2 Status

The SAR Payload

The SAR Payload includes the SAR antenna and associated sensor electronics required for imaging. EMS Canada (now MDA Montreal) was the SAR Payload subcontractor.

Operating in C-band, the RADARSAT-2 SAR Payload ensures continuity of all existing RADARSAT-1 modes, and offers an extensive range of additional features ranging from improvement in resolution to full flexibility in the selection of polarization options.

The enhanced capabilities are provided by a significant improvement in instrument design, employing a state-of-the-art phased array antenna composed of an array of hundreds of miniature transmit-receive modules. Fully computer-controlled, the antenna is capable of being steered electronically over the full range of the swath and can switch between operating modes virtually instantaneously.