View Instrument

Instrument Type: imager, Operational Mode: , Collection Type: radar, Other Information: To image terrain, the radar is carried on an aircraft or spacecraft platform moving at uniform speed and altitude. The forward motion provides scanning in the along track direction. The radar beam is directed to the side and down toward the surface. The beam is wide in the vertical direction and so intersects the surface in an oval with the long axis extended in the across track (range) direction. The echo of a short pulse will be received from surface points at increasing range. Thus, digitizing the signal in time provides scanning in the range direction. This direction is determined by the side to which the radar looks.