C-SAR
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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.