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MDA is the worldwide distributor of RADARSAT-1 data. The RADARSAT-1 satellite was launched November 4, 1995 and has been providing imagery for operational monitoring services on a global basis ever since. It is equipped with a state-of-the-art Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) that can be steered to collect data over a 1,175 km wide area using 7 beam modes. This provides users with superb flexibility in acquiring images with a range of resolutions, incidence angles, and coverage areas and offers the following key benefits:
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C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
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Cloud-free images of the Earth
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Frequent revisit for monitoring and emergency response
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Programming for emergencies and priorities
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Near-Real Time processing of data
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Direct downlink and onboard recorder storage capacity
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Data calibration for change detection studies
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7 beam modes and 35 beam positions for a wide range of imaging options
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Varying Resolutions (8 - 100 metres)
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Swath Widths of 50 - 500 km
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Incidence Angles from 10 - 59 degrees
The RADARSAT SAR instrument consists of a radar transmitter, a radar receiver and a data downlink transmitter. The radar transmitter and receiver operate through a steerable antenna that directs the transmitted energy in a narrow beam normal to the satellite track. The elevation angle and profile of the beam (beam positions) can be adjusted so that the beam intercepts the earth's surface over the desired range of incidence angles. This capability is important because image characteristics vary with the incidence angle associated with each beam. In addition, different resolution and coverage can be achieved. The beam modes are each characterized by a specific beam elevation angle and profile, as shown below.
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Within each RADARSAT beam mode, a number of incidence angle positions are available. These are called beam positions. For example, Standard beam mode, which covers a 100 x 100 km area, has seven beam positions. By specifying a beam position, one of seven 100 x 100 km images within a 500 km accessible swath will be collected.
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