RADARSAT

RADARSAT is a Canadian remote sensing Earth observation satellite program overseen by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The program has consisted of:

RADARSAT Constellation, the successor to RADARSAT-2, will use a constellation of three small satellites to provide greater coverage while minimizing service interruptions and is expected to launch in 2018.

Main Article: RADARSAT-1

Led by the Canada, the RADARSAT-1 project consisted of collaboration between the Canadian federal government and provinces, the United States, and the private sector. The goal of this project was to produce a satellite for earth observation by way of a Synthetic Aperture Radar, which is an advanced radar sensor and powerful microwave instrument capable of producing high quality images of the Earth during day or night and across a wide range of weather conditions including cloud cover, smoke, and haze. As a result of the versatility of RADARSAT-1, it has proven highly beneficial to both commercial and scientific users.

Main Article: RADARSAT-2

RADARSAT-2 was constructed with several improvements over the RADARSAT-1 project, making it one of the most advanced radar imaging satellites in the world. Some of the improvements over RADARSAT-1 include increased spatial resolution, multiple polarization filters, solid state recorders, and a GPS receivers on-board.

RADARSAT International (RSI) was formed in 1989 to market, process, and distribute data from RADARSAT-1. It was owned by a consortium of aerospace companies consisting of MDA, Spar Aerospace, COM DEV International, and Lockheed Martin.

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