| 1. |
When did the RADARSAT-2 launch take place, and from where? |
RADARSAT-2 was launched December 14, 2007 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz II launcher provided by Starsem of France. |
| 2. |
What is the lifespan of RADARSAT-2? |
The design lifespan of RADARSAT-2 is 7 years; however, as demonstrated by RADARSAT-1, which had a design lifespan of 5 years but remains fully operational after 11 years, we look forward to many additional years of operation. |
| 3. |
What are the RADARSAT-2 frequencies? |
The RADARSAT-2 satellite frequencies are:
C Band SAR Antenna-Transmit & Receive Channel: MHz (assigned bandwidth 100,540 kHz)
X Band Downlink Channel 1-8105.0000 MHz (assigned bandwidth 61,230 kHz)
X Band Downlink Channel 2-8230.0000 MHz (assigned bandwidth 61,230 kHz) |
| 4. |
Why are the RADARSAT-2 frequencies different from RADARSAT-1? |
The frequency used by RADARSAT-1 (5.3 GHz) falls within those used by wireless LANs (5.250 to 5.350 GHz). The frequency used by RADARSAT-2 has been shifted to 5.405 GHz to avoid possible interference with wireless LANs. This avoids the possibility of image quality being affected as wireless LAN use in this band increases. We intend to preserve the frequency band allocated to RADARSAT-2 for future missions. |
| 5. |
What is RADARSAT-2's orbit? |
Just like RADARSAT-1, RADARSAT-2 is in a polar, sun-synchronous orbit with a period of approximately 101 minutes. |
| 6. |
What is the RADARSAT-2 orbit maintenance strategy and is it suitable for InSAR? |
The RADARSAT-2 orbit will be maintained at +/- 1 km in across track direction. This orbit maintenance is suitable for InSAR data collection. |
| 7. |
What is the geo-location accuracy of RADARSAT-2? |
The geo-location accuracy of RADARSAT-2 products varies with product type. It is currently estimated at +/- 30 m for Standard beam products. This accuracy will be available at the time of downlink. |
| 8. |
What is the imaging capacity of RADARSAT-2? |
RADARSAT-2 has a maximum on-time imaging capacity of 28 minutes per orbit for a Standard beam mode scene in single polarization. An orbit is 101 minutes. |
| 9. |
What is the storage capacity of the on-board Solid State Recorder (SSR)? |
The SSR has a storage capacity of 300 Gb. This is equivalent to about 450 Fine beam mode scenes (50 km x 50 km per scene) or 110 ScanSAR Narrow beam mode scenes (300 km x 300 km per scene). |
| 10. |
Can data stored on the Solid State Recorder (SSR) be downlinked outside of Canada? |
Yes, data stored on the SSR can be downlinked to any certified RADARSAT-2 network station. |
| 11. |
What is the revisit period for RADARSAT-2? |
The revisit period for RADARSAT-2 depends on the beam mode, incidence angle and geographic location of the area of interest. In general, revisit is more frequent at the poles than the equator and the wider swath modes have higher revisit than the narrow swath modes.
RADARSAT-2 takes 24 days to return to its original orbit path. Thus it takes 24 days to obtain exactly the same image (i.e. same beam mode, same beam position, and same geographic coverage). |
| 12. |
What is a slew manoeuvre? |
As shown in the diagram below, the slew manoeuvre changes the spacecraft orientation from right- to left-looking.
Each slew manoeuvre (i.e., the switch from one look-direction to the other) requires about 10 minutes. A slew plan will be predefined to ensure viewing opportunities are maximized over land and coastal areas. Exceptional slew manoeuvres can be added in emergency cases. |
| 13. |
Can I select whether the satellite is right- or left-looking when placing my order? |
RADARSAT-2 slew manoeuvres will be predefined rather than on an order-by-order basis. Exceptional slew manoeuvres can be added in special cases (e.g. in the case of an emergency).
The default slew plan may be updated as required to adjust for seasonal events (e.g.. eclipse period) and high user demand. |
| 14. |
How many times per day is the RADARSAT-2 satellite tasked for new acquisitions? |
The current operational baseline plans have satellite tasking commands transmitted twice per 24-hour period. |
