RADARSAT

[3] 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.

[4] Some of the improvements over RADARSAT-1 include increased spatial resolution, multiple polarization filters, solid state recorders, and GPS receivers on board.

This rendition will use a constellation of three small satellites to provide greater coverage while minimizing service interruptions.

[8] MDA GSI holds the operating license for RADARSAT-2 under contract from the Canadian Space Agency.

Since RADARSAT data is readily available in near-real time, it is one of the best source of information to use for coastal monitoring, ship detection and maritime ice navigation.