Sp-461 ers-envisat Symposium

Figure 6 : Transponder Response

in SAR Image

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To this end the visibility of each transponder for each swath

has been calculated based initially on a 1km x 1km grid

covering the Netherlands. For each point the maximum

number of overall transponder acquisitions and the

maximum number of acquisitions per swath was calculated.

The results for the locations where a minimum of 24

acquisitions are possible with a minimum of three per swath

for one 35-day orbital cycle are presented in figure 8. This

already gives an idea of the sites which would provide the

most optimal use of the transponders. Further consideration

must also be given to the 36km swath of External

Characterization mode and, of course, ground suitability of a

selected area. At the time of writing the definitive sites were

about to be selected.

Validation of the calibration performance will be supported

by the four RADARSAT transponders deployed over a

latitude range from 45-74

o

 in Canada [3]. As RADARSAT

operates at 5.3 GHz, the actual RCS of these transponders at

5.331 GHz needs to be characterized.