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TerraSAR-X Satellite

TerraSAR-X is a three-satellite constellation collecting X-band SAR imagery up to 25-cm.

TerraSAR-X Satellite Imagery Samples

TerraSAR-X 1-m X-Band SA HH Polarization - Tucson, Arizona, USA; March 12, 2022
TerraSAR-X 1-m X-Band SA HH Polarization - Tucson, Arizona, USA; March 12, 2022
TerraSAR-X 1-m X-Band SA HH Polarization - Tucson, Arizona, USA; March 12, 2022

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The TerraSAR-X Advantage

SAR Up To 25-cm Resolution
With TerraSAR-X’s Starting SpotLight mode, up to 25-centimeter (cm) resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data is at your fingertips.

Multiple Imaging Modes
From 25-cm resolution to 30-meter resolution, TerraSAR-X offers flexibility depending on your application.

X-Band SAR For Urban Monitoring
With high-frequency X-band SAR imagery, there’s no better option for urban, infrastructure, ice and snow monitoring than TerraSAR-X.
Overview & HistoryTerraSAR-X SpecificationsPricing

TerraSAR-X is a three-satellite constellation that collects X-band SAR imagery. It consists of TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X which were built as a joint venture between the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and Airbus Defense and Space, and then launched in June 2007 and June 2010 respectively. They work as a constellation along with a third, identical Spanish satellite called PAZ (Spanish for peace), which is owned and operated by Hisdesat.

TerraSAR’s X-band data is widely used for urban and infrastructure monitoring, as well as ice and snow monitoring, because the high-frequency radar band can detect objects with a diameter of up to a few centimeters.

Flying in a close orbit, with distances down to only a few hundred meters, the three identical TerraSAR-X satellites collect SAR imagery in six different modes. These varying scan modes allow customers to choose the best product for their application, so whether that’s a small footprint with 25-cm resolution or a large footprint with 30-meter resolution, the TerraSAR-X constellation has you covered!

Launch Details
  • Launch Date: June 15, 2007, 02:14 UTC (TerraSAR-X); June 21, 2010, 02:14 UTC (TanDEM-X); February 22, 2018, 03:17 UTC (PAZ)
  • Vehicle: Dnepr rocket; Falcon 9 rocket (PAZ)
  • Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan; Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA USA (PAZ)
  • Expected Mission Life: at least 10 years for each satellite
TerraSAR-X Components
  • Satellite Mass: ~ 1,230 kilograms
  • Solar Array: 5.25 sq m, triple-junction GaAs type solar cells; average orbital power of 800 Watts (W) EOL
  • Control Systems:
    • Altitude Determination – GPS/star tracker system (MosaicGNSS)
    • Orbit Determination – Dual-frequency GPS receiver and raw data post-processing on ground
  • Onboard Storage Capacity: 256 Gbit (GB), solid-state mass memory
  • Ground Communication Systems:
    • Imagery Downlink – X-band downlink assembly, rate of 300 Mbit/s
    • TT&C Link – S-band, uplink rate of 4 kbit/s, downlink of 32 kbit/s to 1 Mbit/s (2200-2400 megahertz [MHz])
Orbit Characteristics
  • Nominal Orbit Height at Equator: 514 kilometers (km)
  • Period: 94.79 minutes
  • Orbits Per Day: ~15
  • Inclination: 97.44°
  • Direction: north to south sun-synchronous repeat orbit
  • Nominal Acquisition Direction: right side
  • Equatorial Crossing Time: 18:00 ± 0.25-h local time (approximate; across lit side of Earth)
  • Attitude Steering: total zero doppler
Imaging System
  • Wavelength: 2.4 – 3.8 cm, X-band SAR
  • Radar Carrier Frequency: 9.65 Gigahertz (GHz)
  • Radiated RF Peak Power: 2 kilowatts (kW)
  • Polarizations: HH, VH, HV, VV
  • Antenna Length: 4.8 m
  • Antenna Width: 0.7 m
  • Incidence Angle Range for StripMap/ScanSAR: 20° – 45° full performance, 15° – 60° accessible
  • Incidence Angle Range for SpotLight Modes: 20° – 55° full performance; 15° – 60° accessible
  • Number of StripMap/ScanSAR Elevation Beams: 12, full performance range; 27, access range
  • Number of SpotLight Elevation Beams: 91, full performance range; 122, access range
  • Number of SpotLight Azimuth Beams: 229
  • Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF): 2.0 kHz – 6.5 kilohertz (kHz)
  • Range Bandwidth: max. 150 MHz (300 MHz experimental)
  • Six Operating Modes (width x length):
    • Staring Spotlight (ST): single polarization, 4 x 3.7 km, SSD ≤ 0.25 m
    • High Resolution SpotLight (HS): single or dual polarization, 10 x 5 km, SSD ≤ 1 m
    • SpotLight (SL): single or dual polarization, 10 x 10 km, SSD ≤ 2 m
    • StripMap (SM): single or dual polarization, 30 x 50 km, SSD ≤ 3 m
    • ScanSAR (SC): single polarization, 100 x 150 km, SSD ≤ 18 m
    • Wide ScanSAR (WSC): single polarization, 270 x 200 km, SSD ≤ 40 m

Below is the least expensive TerraSAR-X data offered. Prices increase for newer archive data and new collections. Note that volume discounts are available.

  • Data Source: Wide ScanSAR archive, greater than 30 days old
  • Minimum Order Size: one scene, 270 km x 200 km (width x length)
  • Product Type: 30-m, one processing level (SSC, MGD, GEC, EEC)
  • Price Per Sq Km: $1,093.75 (more detailed pricing can be found here)

For an exact quote, please contact our Sales Team at sales@apollomapping.com.

Looking for detailed product and satellites specifications for the three-satellite X-band SAR constellation, TerraSAR-X?

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