32382 - RADARSAT 2

RADARSAT 2 is a Canadian synthetic aperture radar craft that was launched by a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur at 13:17 UT on 2007 December 14. It is a superior version of the RADARSAT 1, and yields a spatial resolution of three meters.

The 2.2-ton craft carries transmitters and receivers operating at 5.405 GHz, with a rectangular antenna of 15 m x 1.7 m. For locating its own position, it carries a GPS receiver, as well as a star tracker. It receives echoes polarized horizontally and vertically, in separate channels. It has an on-board electronic data storage capability, as well a number of ground-based receivers for direct data reception. It was expected to play a major role in sea ice monitoring and in tracking vessels (legal and trespassing) in the Arctic Ocean. Additional details are available at: http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/satellites/radarsat2/. The initial orbital parameters were period 100.8 min, apogee 799 km, perigee 792 km, and inclination 98.6 deg.

Alternate Names

Radar Satellite

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2007-12-14
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-Fregat
Launch Site: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan