Radarsat-2
RADARSAT-2 is a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Earth observation satellite. It launched on 14 December 2007 aboard a Starsem Soyuz-FG rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.[1] The spacecraft is owned by MDA (formerly MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates.)[2]
Mission type
Radar imaging
32382
Elasped: 16 years, 6 months
Prima
2,300 kg (5,100 lb)
14 December 2007, 13:17:34 UTC
Description[edit]
RADARSAT-2 uses C-band synthetic-aperture radar (SAR).[3] Data may be acquired in any combination of horizontal and vertical polarizations (HH, HV, VV, VH).[4] Resolution and swath width depends on the operation mode; the resolution range is 1 to 100 metres, and the swath width ranges from 18 to 500 kilometres.[3]
The satellite allows for routine left- and right-looking operations, permitting faster revisit times and routine Antarctic mapping.[5]
The payload module was built by EMS Technologies, with the phased array SAR antenna being built by EMS Montreal.[6] The spacecraft bus was built by Alenia Aerospazio (Italy).[7] The Extensible Support Structure was built by Able Engineering (United States).[5]
Development[edit]
In June 1994, the Government of Canada approved the Long-Term Space Plan II, which authorized the CSA to develop a follow-on to RADARSAT-1. MDA was selected as the primary contractor.[2] The Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) would receive and archive the satellite's data.[2][8] The launch was expected to occur around 2001.[1]
The CSA intended to launch RADARSAT-2 with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in exchange for data sharing.[7] In 1998, NASA declined when it was announced that the spacecraft would be privatized, being owned and operated by MDA. In 1999, the CSA began exploring Russian and European Space Agency (ESA) launch options.[9] Boeing was selected in 2003 to provide a commercial launch on a Delta II.,[6] and finally Starsem in 2005.[7] The search for launch options delayed the program[9] and initially added costs, although the Starsem option ultimately reduced project costs.[7]
Further difficulties and delays arose with the bus subsystem. Originally, the prospective contractor was Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) of the United States. A US Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA) was only provided in August 1999; restrictions imposed by US export controls made the TAA unacceptable to the CSA and Government of Canada. Ultimately, Alenia Aerospazio of Italy was selected to build the bus, with additional costs accruing from terminating the OSC contract.[7] An ESA launch seemed likely when Alenia Aerospazio was selected.[1]
The difficulties with the US may have been partially caused by the American perception that the sophisticated Canadian-controlled RADARSAT-2 was a threat to US security.[10] The US intelligence agencies opposed the Boeing launch on national security grounds.[6]
The subsystems arrived at the David Florida Laboratory (DFL) from 2003 to 2005 for assembly, integration and testing.[1] Work at DFL and CSA preparations at Saint-Hubert, Quebec, were completed in September 2007.[1] RADARSAT-2 arrived at Baikonur Cosmodrome by air on 15 November 2007[11] and launched on 14 December 2007.[1]