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The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) aboard the ESA (European Space Agency's) Sentinel-1A/B satellites provides continuous all-weather, day-and-night imagery at C-band frequencies and operating in four exclusive imaging modes with different spatial resolutions and coverages. SAR is an active data technology where a sensor produces its own energy and then records the amount of that energy reflected back. SAR has the advantage of operating at wavelengths not impeded by cloud cover or a lack of illumination and can acquire data day or night under all weather conditions.

Black and white image of coast with water on right and land on left; numerous ships are in the water.
Image Caption

Sentinel-1 SAR image acquired January 15, 2018, showing the land and sea SW of Istanbul, Turkey. Objects in water are ships. Credit: ESA/Sentinel Hub.

Instrument Type

Imaging Radars

Specifications

Resolution

Spatial

25 x 40 m, 5 x 5 m, and 5 x 20 m

Spectral

1 nm-180nm

Temporal

12 days (using together 6 days)

Platforms

Launch Date
Sentinel-1A - April 3, 2014; Sentinel-1B - April 25, 2016
Temporal Extent

Frequently Asked Questions

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