# OSCAT-3 Scatterometer
*sensor . products*

Ku-band scatterometer payload flown on EOS-06 / Oceansat-3 for ocean wind-vector observation.

## Specifications
- **product status**: operational
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **manufacturer**: isro
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"radar","measurement_principle":"active","radar_principle":"scatterometer","frequency_band":"Ku","centre_frequency_ghz":13.515,"scatterometer_geometry":"rotating-pencil-beam","swath_km":1800,"notes":"Rotating pencil-beam antenna diameter 1.4 m (1.4 m Cassegrain); scan rate ~16-20.5 rpm (16 rpm from NRSC ATBD, 20.5 rpm from WMO OSCAR); two beams at ~48.9 deg (HH) and ~57.6 deg (VV) incidence; 1400 km inner swath, 1800 km outer swath; 25 km nominal wind-vector cell, 12.5 km experimental.","spec_disclosure":"disclosed"}
- **entity type**: sensor
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-20
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: isro

## Editorial
OSCAT-3 is an active Ku-band rotating pencil-beam scatterometer for ocean surface wind-vector measurement on Oceansat-3 / EOS-06. It operates at 13.515 GHz with conical scanning and two beams, using incidence angles near 48.9 and 57.6 degrees [^wmo-oscat-3]. The scatterometer uses HH and VV beams with a 1.4 m Cassegrain antenna, and its wind-vector product is centered on nominal 25 km cells with an experimental 12.5 km mode [^nrsc-o3scat-atbd]. WMO OSCAR's instrument record defines a separate 1440 km swath figure for the rotating-beam geometry [^wmo-oscat-3]. The mission ATBD instead documents 1400 km inner and 1800 km outer swaths, with the 1800 km outer swath representing OSCAT-3's overall ground coverage [^nrsc-o3scat-atbd]. The Oceansat-3 deployment runs from February 2023 to 2027, with an expected Oceansat-3A deployment from September 2026 to 2030 [^wmo-oscat-3]. Radar scatterometry is demonstrated on Oceansat-3 [^wmo-oscat-3].

## Supply chain position
- oceansat-3 (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> OSCAT-3 Scatterometer

## Sources
- [wmo-oscat-3] | WMO OSCAR instrument record: OSCAT-3 | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/instruments/view/oscat_3 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16
- [nrsc-o3scat-atbd] | OCEANSAT-3 Scatterometer (O3SCAT) Level-2B ATBD | https://bhoonidhi.nrsc.gov.in/bhoonidhi_resources/help/docs/EOS06-ATBD-SCAT_Wind-V1.pdf | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/oscat-3
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)