Alaska Satellite Facility - Distributed Active Archive Center

RADARSAT-1

Artist rendering of RADARSAT-1

The Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) Remote Sensing satellite (RADARSAT-1) was launched in November 1995, and stopped transmitting because of a technical anomaly in March 2013. It was equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a powerful microwave instrument. It transmitted and received signals to capture high-quality images of the Earth night and day and in all weather conditions. RADARSAT-1 transmitted a microwave energy pulse (C-band at 5.3 GHz frequency) to Earth, and the SAR measured the amount of energy reflected back to the satellite from the Earth’s surface.

The RADARSAT-1 data archive via the ASF DAAC is now free and open. This is an unrestricted dataset, and users are free to copy, modify, publish, translate, adapt, distribute or otherwise use the RADARSAT-1 information in any medium, mode or format for any lawful purpose. Learn more about the Canada’s Open Government License.

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Overview

 

RADARSAT-1 collected Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from 1995-2008. The instrument had worldwide coverage, with extensive coverage of Arctic Ocean sea ice. The datapool contains ASF standard beam odd frames, as well as the first and last frame of each imaged swath. The datapool also contains all Fine Beam 1 frames in a CEOS — Level 0 and Level 1 framed format.

 

Dataset PropertyFine Beam ModeStandard Beam ModeScanSAR Beam Mode
Temporal Coverage1995-20081995-20081995-2008
Repeat Cycle24 days24 days24 days
Spatial CoverageWorldwide coverage, with extensive coverage of Arctic Ocean sea iceWorldwide coverage, with extensive coverage of Arctic Ocean sea iceWorldwide coverage, with extensive coverage of Arctic Ocean sea ice
Center Frequency5.3 GHz/C-band 5.6 cm5.3 GHz/C-band 5.6 cm5.3 GHz/C-band 5.6 cm
PolarizationHHHHHH
Spatial Resolution8 m30 m50-100 m
Swath Width50 km100 km300-500 km
Off-Nadir Angle37-47°20-49°20-49°
File FormatCEOS — Level 0 and Level 1 framedCEOS — Level 0 and Level 1 framedCEOS — Level 0 and Level 1 framed
Download InformationData DiscoveryData DiscoveryData Discovery
Date Published199519951995

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User Guides/Technical Information

Coverage Maps

RADARSAT-1 Level 1 Standard Beam Data Coverage

RADARSAT-1 Fine Beam Acquisitions
RADARSAT-1 Fine Beam Acquisitions

RADARSAT-1 Level 1 Fine Beam Data Coverage

RADARSAT-1 Standard Beam Acquisitions
RADARSAT-1 Standard Beam Acquisitions

RADARSAT-1 Level 1 ScanSAR Wide Beam Data Coverage

RADARSAT-1 ScanSAR Wide Acquisitions
RADARSAT-1 ScanSAR Wide Acquisitions
Instrument

Instrument

 

RADARSAT-1 Instrument Diagram

 

RADARSAT-1 was equipped with a powerful SAR sensor. It transmitted and received signals to capture high-quality images of the Earth night and day and in all weather conditions. RADARSAT-1 transmitted a microwave energy pulse (C-band at 5.3 GHz frequency) to Earth, and the SAR measured the amount of energy reflected back to the satellite from the Earth’s surface.

The RADARSAT-1 instrument was able to shape and steer its radar beam using C-band. A wide variety of beam widths were available to capture swaths of 45 to 500 kilometers, with a range of 8 to 100 meters in resolution and incidence angles of 10 to 60 degrees.

SAR Modes

Radarsat-1 Beam Modes

 

ParameterFine Beam ModeStandard Beam ModeScanSAR Beam Mode
Center Frequency5.3 GHz/C-band 5.6 cm5.3 GHz/C-band 5.6 cm5.3 GHz/C-band 5.6 cm
PolarizationHHHHHH
Spatial Resolution8 m30 m50-100 m
Swath Width45 km100 km300-500 km
Off-Nadir Angle37-47°20-49°20-49°
Document and Tools

The RADARSAT Data Product Specifications Guide provides an overview of the endorsed products generated by the RADARSAT program. This document outlines the suite of available RADARSAT products, the product delivery options, and product attributes such as image quality, resolution and size. The CEOS format for RADARSAT data is also defined for each record in structure and contents.

RADARSAT-1 Data Product Specifications

RADARSAT-1 Products

Downloadable Products

 

Downloadable Products include Level 0  (raw data), Level 1  (amplitude image), Left-looking and Antarctica mosaics.

* NOTE: Exact swath varies with incidence angle and the latitude of the image footprint.

 

Beam ModeBeam PositionIncidence Angle (degrees)Resolution Range x Azimuth (m)Real Time swath* (km)
StandardS124-3124 x 27100
StandardS230-3720 x 27100
StandardS334-4025 x 27100
StandardS436-4223 x 27100
StandardS541-4622 x 27100
StandardS645-4920 x 27100
StandardS739-4219 x 27100
Beam ModeBeam PositionIncidence Angle (degrees)Resolution Range x Azimuth (m)Real Time swath* (km)
FineF137-418.3 x 8.450
FineF239-427.9 x 8.450
FineF341-447.6 x 8.450
FineF443-467.3 x 8.450
FineF545-477.1 x 8.450
Beam ModeBeam PositionIncidence Angle (degrees)Resolution Range x Azimuth (m)Real Time swath* (km)
WideW120-3133 x 27150
WideW231-3935 x 27150
WideW339-4521 x 27150
Beam ModeBeam PositionIncidence Angle (degrees)Resolution Range x Azimuth (m)Real Time swath* (km)
Extended LowEL-110-2339 x 27170
Beam ModeBeam PositionIncidence Angle (degrees)Resolution Range x Azimuth (m)Real Time swath* (km)
Extended HighEH149-5218 x 2775
Extended HighEH250-5318 x 2775
Extended HighEH352-5517 x 2775
Extended HighEH454-5717 x 2775
Extended HighEH556-5816 x 2775
Extended HighEH657-6016 x 2775
Beam ModeBeam PositionIncidence Angle (degrees)Resolution Range x Azimuth (m)Real Time swath* (km)
Scan SAR NarrowSNA20-3950 x 50300
Scan SAR NarrowSNB31-4650 x 50300
Beam ModeBeam PositionIncidence Angle (degrees)Resolution Range x Azimuth (m)Real Time swath* (km)
Scan SAR WideSWA20-49100 x 100500
Scan SAR WideSWB20-46100 x 100450

 

* NOTE: Exact swath varies with incidence angle and the latitude of the image footprint.

 

Citation Information

How to Cite Data

Cite data in publications such as journal papers, articles, presentations, posters, and websites. Please send copies of, or links to, published works citing data, imagery, or tools accessed through ASF to [email protected]” with “New Publication” on the subject line.

FormatExample
Dataset: RADARSAT-1, CSA [year of data acquisition]. Retrieved from ASF DAAC [day month year of data access].Dataset: RADARSAT-1, CSA 1999. Retrieved from ASF DAAC 7 December 2014.

Data Citations and Acknowledgements

How to Cite Imagery

Include credit with each image shown in publications such as journal papers, articles, presentations, posters, and websites. (NASA does not copyright imagery.)

FormatExample
© CSA [year of data acquisition]© CSA 2002

 

RADARSAT-1 Datasets and DOIs

 

L0_RADARSAT-110.5067/GXBUNGIGEOO3
L1_RADARSAT-110.5067/KUIX1CRFDW44

Discover RADARSAT-1 data

Researchers can download RADARSAT-1 data from the NASA-sponsored ASF DAAC.

Data Discovery ToolLink
ASF Vertex Data SearchVertex
Python Search Moduleasf_search
ASF Search APIASF Search API
NASA Earthdata SearchEarthdata Search