RADARSAT-2 Program Data

The Canadian new-generation Radarsat-2 satellite was put into orbit on December 14, 2007 on the Russian Soyuz-FG carrier vehicle from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan. As compared to its predecessor (Radarsat-1) the new Radarsat-2 satellite has a number of essential technical advancements:

• A new radar with fully active phased antenna array is installed, ensuring the imaging with the resolution up to 1-3 m;
• The multi-polarization mode with the signals of two or four types of polarization at the same time is implemented;
• Left- and right-looking imaging along the track is enabled, thus reducing the revisit time;
• Capacity of the onboard storage device is increased to ensure global survey;
• Accuracy of satellite orbital position and attitude is improved, so is the image geolocation accuracy.

Radarsat-2 satellite has been created as a result of the public-private partnership between the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Canadian MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) company. MDA developed the ground segment and designed the on-board equipment, whereas the CSA contributed funds for the construction and launch of the satellite and plans to recover its investment by supplying RADARASAT-2 data to the Canadian governmental agencies during the lifetime of the mission.

Launch data
Launch date	December 14, 2007
Launch site	Baikonur, Kazakhstan
Carrier vehicle	Soyuz-FG/Fregat
Expected mission life	7 years minimum

Satellite orbit parameters
Orbit type	Polar sun-synchronous
Altitude	798km
Inclination	98.6 degrees
Rotation period	100.7 min
Repetivity	24 days
Nodal crossing local time	6:30 AM, 6:30 PM

SAR operation modes
Frequency range	C-band (5.405 GHz)
Channel bandwidth	11.6, 17.3, 30, 50 and 100 MHz
Channel polarization	HH, HV, VH, VV
SAR antenna dimensions	15m x 1.5m