# PALSAR-3
*sensor . products*

Active phased-array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar, sole imaging payload of the ALOS-4 satellite (launched 1 July 2024). Operated by JAXA, built on the JAXA Advanced Satellite Bus-3 by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Operates at L-band (selectable centre frequencies 1236.5 / 1257.5 / 1278.5 MHz), enabling deep canopy penetration for tropical forest disturbance detection. Principal advance over PALSAR-2 is the wider ScanSAR swath at finer resolution: 700 km swath at 25 m resolution versus PALSAR-2 350 km swath at 100 m. Stripmap modes 3 to 10 m resolution; Spotlight 3 by 1 m over 35 km scene. Dual polarisation (HH+HV) confirmed.

## Specifications
- **product status**: operational
- **manufacturer**: jaxa
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"sar","measurement_principle":"active","frequency_band":"L","centre_frequency_mhz":1257.5,"polarisation_modes":["HH","HH+HV"],"swath_km":700,"modes":[{"name":"ScanSAR Wide","resolution_range_m":25,"swath_km":700,"polarisation":"HH or HH+HV"},{"name":"Stripmap Fine","resolution_range_m":10,"swath_km":200},{"name":"Stripmap High-Sensitive","resolution_range_m":6,"swath_km":100},{"name":"Stripmap Ultrafine","resolution_range_m":3,"swath_km":100},{"name":"Spotlight","resolution_range_m":3,"resolution_azimuth_m":1,"swath_km":35}],"notes":"Centre frequency selectable 1236.5/1257.5/1278.5 MHz, wavelength about 23.84 cm at nominal. Side-looking phased-array, multi-mode, selectable incidence. Secondary AIS payload (SPAISE3) is independent of the imaging mission."}
- **last verified date**: "2026-05-18T00:00:00.000Z"
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-verified
- **deployment context**: orbital

## Compositional position
- alos-4 (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> PALSAR-3

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