Sensor · Spaceborne

C-SAR

Compiled from public sources on 2026-05-25. Not independently verified by Airbus Defence and Space.

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Missions → Sentinel-1A (Degraded) , Sentinel-1C (Operational) , Sentinel-1D (Operational)

Active C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar operating at 5.405 GHz (about 5.55 cm wavelength), sole imaging payload of the ESA Sentinel-1 satellite series under the Copernicus programme. Instrument built by Airbus Defence and Space (Friedrichshafen); satellite platform built by Thales Alenia Space (distinct role). Active phased-array antenna 12.3 by 0.821 metres. Four imaging modes: Interferometric Wide Swath (IW) is the operational workhorse at 250 km swath / 5 by 20 m resolution dual-pol; plus Extra Wide (EW, 400 km), Stripmap (SM, 80 km, ERS/Envisat heritage), and Wave (WV, open ocean profiling). Operational on Sentinel-1A (2014), Sentinel-1C (Dec 2024), Sentinel-1D (Nov 2025); Sentinel-1B retired August 2022 after a power anomaly. Backbone of RADD forest disturbance alerts.

Sensor

C-SAR is the C-band synthetic aperture radar instrument carried by the Sentinel-1 satellite series.^[1]^[2] It is an active SAR sensor built by Airbus Defence and Space, operating in C band at a 5405 MHz centre frequency.^[3]^[2] The instrument supports HH, VV, HH+HV and VV+VH polarisation modes and includes Stripmap, Interferometric Wide Swath, Extra Wide Swath and Wave modes.^[2]^[4]

For operational Earth observation users, IW is the default land mode, with about 250 km swath and 5 m by 20 m ground resolution.^[1]^[4] ESA facts material places C-SAR in the continuing Sentinel-1 operational context, with catalogue mission rows for Sentinel-1A, Sentinel-1C and Sentinel-1D and Sentinel-1B retired after an anomaly.^[3]

Methodology	Evidence	Mission
insar-surface-deformation	demonstrated	Sentinel-1A
sar-backscatter-change-detection	demonstrated	Sentinel-1A
polarimetric-sar-decomposition	capable	Sentinel-1A

Operator pricing

Pricing not publicly listed by operator

Where this fits, supply chain

Compositional position

Sentinel-1A ——— this payload

Sentinel-1C ——— this payload

Sentinel-1D ——— this payload

Sentinel-1 Level-2 Ocean (OCN) ——— this related

this ——— Sentinel-1A (Degraded) flies on

this ——— Sentinel-1C (Operational) flies on

this ——— Sentinel-1D (Operational) flies on

Methods this sensor implements

Demonstrated

InSAR - surface deformation
SAR backscatter imagingvia Sentinel-1A
Sentinel-1 C-SAR is an operational C-band synthetic-aperture radar imaging payload; this edge covers calibrated SAR amplitude/backscatter imagery as the base acquisition method.

Capable, undemonstrated

Polarimetric SAR - target decomposition

Topics this relates to

Geology and geohazards InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)well suited

Permafrost and ground ice InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)well suited

Pipeline integrity InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)well suited

Subsidence InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)well suited

Transport infrastructure monitoring InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)well suited

Coastal erosion InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)adequate

Groundwater and terrestrial water storage InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)adequate

Snow water equivalent InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)adequate

Flooding InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)marginal

Glacier and ice-sheet mass InSAR - surface deformation(demonstrated)marginal

Forest structure and biomass Polarimetric SAR - target decomposition(capable)well suited

Biodiversity and habitat Polarimetric SAR - target decomposition(capable)adequate

Illegal and unregulated fishing Polarimetric SAR - target decomposition(capable)adequate

Sea ice Polarimetric SAR - target decomposition(capable)adequate

Soil moisture Polarimetric SAR - target decomposition(capable)adequate

Urban change Polarimetric SAR - target decomposition(capable)adequate

Vessel tracking Polarimetric SAR - target decomposition(capable)adequate

Crop-type mapping Polarimetric SAR - target decomposition(capable)marginal

Ocean surface winds SAR backscatter imaging(demonstrated)well suited

Sea state SAR backscatter imaging(demonstrated)well suited

Wind energy siting SAR backscatter imaging(demonstrated)well suited

Economic activity intelligence SAR backscatter imaging(demonstrated)adequate

Ocean currents SAR backscatter imaging(demonstrated)marginal

Sources

[1]Sentinel-1 Instrument, ESAagency doc2026-05-25
[2]Sentinel-1 Facts and Figures, ESAagency doc2026-05-25
[3]Sentinel-1 Mission, Copernicus SentiWikiagency doc2026-05-25
[4]SAR-C Sentinel-1 instrument, WMO OSCARthird party2026-05-25

Cite https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/c-sar Markdown twin → Field definitions →