The terraSAR-X satellite project

The objective of TerraSAR-X is the setup of an operational space borne X-Band SAR system in order to produce remote sensing products for commercial and scientific use. The TerraSAR-X project is conducted under the aegis of the DLR Space Flight Management and comprises a space and a ground segment. The space segment is designed and built by ASTRIUM GmbH, the ground segment is set up by several institutions of DLR, namely the German Remote Sensing Data Center, the Remote Sensing Technology Institute, the German Space Operations Center and the Microwaves and Radar Institute.

I. Introduction

TerraSAR-X [1] is a new generation, high resolution radar satellite operating in the X-Band at 9.65 GHz. In 2005, the TerraSAR-X satellite will be injected by a Russian/Ukrainian Dnepr-1 launch vehicle into a circular, sun-synchronous 514 km dawn-dusk orbit. After an in-orbit commissioning period of approximately 5 months, in which the SAR instrument will be calibrated and the system performance will be verified, TerraSAR-X will be fully operational for an active lifetime of 5 years.