CEOS EO HANDBOOK – INSTRUMENT SUMMARY
- SAR (RCM)
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Full Name
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Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) C band
aka RCM
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Status
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Operational
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Instrument Agencies
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CSA , NRCAN , DND, DFO, AAFC, ECCC, PSC
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Maturity
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High Heritage - Operational
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Instrument Type
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Imaging microwave radars 
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Geometry
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Side-looking
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Instrument Technology
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Imaging radar (SAR)
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Sampling
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Imaging
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Data Access
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Constrained Access
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Data Format
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Image Products in a format that uses GeoTIFF for imagery and XML for metadata, or NITF for imagery and metadata.
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Measurements and Applications
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All-weather, C-band data to support ecosystem monitoring, maritime surveillance and disaster management.
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Resolution Summary
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Low Resolution 100 m and Low Noise: 100 x 100 m (8 looks); Medium Resolution 50 m: 50 x 50 m (4 looks); Medium Resolution 30 m: 30 x 30 m (4 looks); Medium Resolution 16 m: 16 x 16 m (4 looks); High-Resolution 5 m: 5 x 5 m (1 look); Very High Resolution 3 m: 3 x 3 m @35deg (1 look); Spotlight: 1 x 3 m @35deg (1 look); Quad-Pol: 9 x 9 m (1 look).
[Best Resolution: 1m]
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Swath Summary
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Low Resolution 100 m: 500 km; Medium Resolution 50 m: 350 km; Low Noise: 350 km; Ship Detection: 350 km; Medium Resolution 30 m: 125 km; Medium Resolution 16 m: 30 km; High-Resolution 5 m: 30 km; Very High Resolution 3 m: 20 km; Spotlight: 20 km [5 km along-track]; Quad-Pol: 20 km.
[Max Swath: 500 km]
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Accuracy Summary
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Absolute Radiometric Accuracy: +/- 1.0 dB
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Waveband Summary
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Microwave: C band 5.405 GHz: HH, VV, HV, VH polarization - includes Quad polarization imaging mode and compact polarimetry.
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| MW (~0.1 cm - ~100 cm) |
| C-Band (8 - 4 GHz) |
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Instrument Measurements
Measurements Overview
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Instrument Missions
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