Radarsat Constellation Mission

In the 70s, several studies and airborne remote sensing experiments were conducted to propose a satellite mission concept that would best meet Canadian needs, more specifically for mapping the vast northern areas. Considering the need for imaging in darkness and cloud cover conditions an active microwave instrument as a satellite sensor has been considered as the optimal solution to respond to national requirements. Consequently, in 1980 the Government of Canada approved a new Earth observation program entitled RADARSAT [1] . Through this program, Canada has been providing without interruption C-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data since 1995 with the launch of RADARSAT-1 and with the introduction of RADARSAT-2 in 2007. There is also a clear commitment to maintain data continuity in the future with the current development of the next generation mission; the RADARSAT Constellation. This perennial data supply enables the users at national and international level to integrate this valuable source of information into their operational applications.