Measurements and Applications
High resolution X-band radar for security, land use, urban management, environmental monitoring, risk management. Spotlight, Scansar and Stripmap acquisition modes.
Full Name
X Band Synthetic Aperture Radar
Status
Operational
Instrument Agencies
Maturity
High Heritage - Operational
Instrument Type
Imaging microwave radars 
Geometry
Side-looking
Instrument Technology
Imaging radar (SAR)
Sampling
Imaging
Data Access
Constrained Access
Data Format
L1B products are provided in COSAR binary format for complex SSC products and GeoTIFF format for detected/geocoded products (MGD, GEC and EEC). Product annotation and metadata are provided in XML format.
Resolution
Resolution will move between <1 x 1 m and 6 x 18m depending on acquisition modes.
[Best Resolution: 0.22m]
Swath
Swath will vary according to the acquisition mode: 5x5 km to 100 km x 100 km.
[Max Swath: 200 km]
Accuracy
Pixel Localization: Pixel Localization: 50 cm to 8.5 m (1s) depending of the product selected.
Waveband
Frequency close to 9.65 GHz with a bandwidth of 300 MHz.
Compiled from the 2026 Extended Parameters Survey, agency-nominated technical contacts and published user guides; not yet collected through the annual CEOS MIM survey.
Polarisation Channels
HH · HV · VV · VH
Polarisation Modes
single · dual
Look Direction
Right (nominal Right)
Polarisation Notes
HH, VV, HH/VV, HH/HV, VV/VH
Source
ESA TPM PAZ Overview and Archive
https://earth.esa.int/eogateway/missions/paz/description
https://earth.esa.int/eogateway/catalog/paz-full-archive-and-new-tasking
Compiled from the 2026 Extended Parameters Survey, agency-nominated technical contacts and published user guides; not yet collected through the annual CEOS MIM survey.
| Mode | Resolution az × rg (m) | Swath (km) | Incidence (°) | Polarisation |
|---|
| StripMap Single SM-S | 3.05 × 2.99 | 30 (50 along-track) | 20–45 | VV; HH; VH; HV |
| StripMap Dual SM-D | 6.11 × 6 | 15 (50 along-track) | 20–45 | HH+VV; HH+HV; VV+VH |
| ScanSAR SC | 17.66 × 16.79 | 100 (150 along-track) | 20–45 | VV; HH; VH; HV |
| Wide ScanSAR WS | 39 × 35 | 273 (208 along-track) | | VV; HH; VH; HV |
| Spotlight Single SL-S | 1.56 × 1.55 | 10 | 20–55 | VV; HH; VH; HV |
| Spotlight Dual SL-D | 1.56 × 3.09 | 10 | 20–55 | HH+VV; HH+HV; VV+VH |
| HR Spotlight Dual SL-D | 1 × 1 | 10 (5 along-track) | 20–55 | HH+VV; HH+HV; VV+VH |
| HR Spotlight Single SL-S | 2.38 × 2 | 10 (5 along-track) | 20–55 | VV; HH; VH; HV |
| Staring Spotlight ST | 0.38 × 0.96 | 9 (3.6 along-track) | 20–45 | VV; HH; VH; HV |