# HY-2C Radar Altimeter
*component . products*

Dual-frequency Ku/C-band radar altimeter flown on HY-2C.

## Specifications
- **product status**: operational
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **manufacturer**: cast
- **entity type**: component
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-16
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: cast
- **attributes**: {"kind":"component","product_status":"operational","deployment_context":"orbital","manufacturer":"cast","description":"Dual-frequency Ku/C-band radar altimeter flown on HY-2C."}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
HY-2C Radar Altimeter is a dual-frequency active radar altimeter in the HY-2C microwave payload suite, flown on HY-2C, also known as Hai Yang 2C.[^wmo-hy2c][^aviso-hy2c][^nsoas-hy2c] It operates at Ku-band 13.58 GHz and C-band 5.25 GHz.[^wmo-hy2c][^nsoas-hy2c] The component supports sea-surface-height and ocean-dynamics observation within the HY-2 series mission objective.[^aviso-hy2c] Its pulse-limited footprint is 2 km, with nadir ranging measurement accuracy of 2 cm.[^nsoas-hy2c] Host-satellite context includes a 957.583 km average height and a 1336 km drifting-orbit altitude; these are mission-level values, not altimeter component measurements.[^aviso-hy2c][^wmo-hy2c] Radar altimetry is demonstrated on HY-2C, with ALT active from December 2020 and expected end of life at or after 2026.[^wmo-hy2c]

## Compositional position
- hy-2c (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> HY-2C Radar Altimeter

## Sources
- [nsoas-hy2c] | HY-2C satellite, National Satellite Ocean Application Service | https://www.nsoas.org.cn/eng/item/253.html | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16
- [aviso-hy2c] | AVISO+ mission page: HY-2C | https://www.aviso.altimetry.fr/en/missions/current-missions/hy-2c.html | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16
- [wmo-hy2c] | WMO OSCAR satellite record: HY-2C | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/satellites/view/hy_2c | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/products/component/hy-2c-alt
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)