TerraSAR-X
| Mission type | Radar imaging |
|---|---|
| Operator | DLR |
| COSPAR ID | 2007-026A |
| SATCAT no. | 31698 |
| Mission duration | Elapsed: 9 years, 9 months, 22 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | EADS Astrium |
| Launch mass | 1,230 kg (2,710 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 June 2007, 02:14 UTC |
| Rocket | Dnepr |
| Launch site | Baikonur 109/95 |
| Contractor | ISC Kosmotras |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Semi-major axis | 6,886.39 kilometres (4,279.00 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.0001445 |
| Perigee | 514 kilometres (319 mi) |
| Apogee | 516 kilometres (321 mi) |
| Inclination | 97.44 degrees |
| Period | 94.79 minutes |
| Epoch | 25 January 2015, 02:35:23 UTC |
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TerraSAR-X, a radar Earth observation satellite, is a joint venture being carried out under a public-private-partnership between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and EADS Astrium. The exclusive commercial exploitation rights are held by the geo-information service provider Astrium. TerraSAR-X was launched on 15 June 2007 and has been in operational service since January 2008. With its twin satellite TanDEM-X, launched 21 June 2010, TerraSAR-X acquires the data basis for the WorldDEM, the worldwide and homogeneous DEM available from 2014.
With its phased array synthetic aperture radar (SAR) antenna (X-band wavelength 31 mm, frequency 9.6 GHz), TerraSAR-X acquires new high-quality radar images of the entire planet whilst circling Earth in a polar orbit at 514 km altitude. The orbit is selected such that the satellite flies in a sun-synchronous dusk-dawn orbit, which means that it moves along the day-night boundary of the Earth and always presents the same face to the sun, ensuring an optimum energy supply via the solar cells. TerraSAR-X is designed to carry out its task for five years, independent of weather conditions and illumination, and reliably provides radar images with a resolution of up to 1m.
Features of TerraSAR-X:
TerraSAR-X acquires radar data in the following three main imaging modes:
In addition, the unique design of TerraSAR-X's SAR antenna allows a variety of polarimetric combinations: single or dual polarization and even full polarimetric data takes, are possible.
Depending on the desired application, one of four different product types (processing levels) can be selected
TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements) is a second, very similar spacecraft launched successfully on 21 June 2010 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Since October 2010, TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X fly in a close formation at distances of only a few hundred metres and record data synchronously. This unique twin satellite constellation will allow the generation of WorldDEM, the global digital elevation models (DEMs). With an unprecedented accuracy, coverage and quality – WorldDEM is a consistent DEM of the Earth’s land surface is envisaged to be acquired and generated within three years after launch. Available from 2014, WorldDEM is to feature a vertical accuracy of 2m (relative) and 10m (absolute), within a horizontal raster of approximately 12x12 square meters, slightly varying depending on the geographic latitude.
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