# SAR-C
*sensor . products*

C-band synthetic aperture radar payload with a deployable phased array antenna and 300-600 MHz chirp bandwidth. Supports Stripmap (20-44 km swath), Spotlight (10 km), ScanSAR (100 km), and Sliding Spotlight imaging modes. Designed as the primary payload for the Dragonfly-C satellite (350 kg total mass, 176 kg payload mass). Single-polarisation configuration.

## Specifications
- **product status**: in-development
- **manufacturer**: dragonfly
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"sar","measurement_principle":"active","frequency_band":"C","centre_frequency_mhz":5405,"chirp_bandwidth_mhz":450,"polarisation_modes":["VV"],"modes":[{"name":"Stripmap","swath_km":32},{"name":"Spotlight","swath_km":10},{"name":"ScanSAR","swath_km":100},{"name":"Sliding Spotlight","swath_km":20}],"swath_km":32,"notes":"Chirp bandwidth listed as 300-600 MHz range; 450 MHz used as midpoint estimate. Centre frequency not published. Stripmap swath 20-44 km range; 32 km midpoint. Single-polarimetric (VV assumed as default C-band EO SAR). Antenna: deployable phased array; dimensions not published."}
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **entity type**: sensor
- **last verified date**: 2026-05-28
- **verified by**: sw
- **claim status**: unclaimed
- **provider**: dragonfly
- **attributes**: {"kind":"sensor","product_status":"in-development","manufacturer":"dragonfly","description":"C-band synthetic aperture radar payload with a deployable phased array antenna and 300-600 MHz chirp bandwidth. Supports Stripmap (20-44 km swath), Spotlight (10 km), ScanSAR (100 km), and Sliding Spotlight imaging modes. Designed as the primary payload for the Dragonfly-C satellite (350 kg total mass, 176 kg payload mass). Single-polarisation configuration.","sensor":"{\"instrument_family\":\"sar\",\"measurement_principle\":\"active\",\"frequency_band\":\"C\",\"centre_frequency_mhz\":5405,\"chirp_bandwidth_mhz\":450,\"polarisation_modes\":[\"VV\"],\"modes\":[{\"name\":\"Stripmap\",\"swath_km\":32},{\"name\":\"Spotlight\",\"swath_km\":10},{\"name\":\"ScanSAR\",\"swath_km\":100},{\"name\":\"Sliding Spotlight\",\"swath_km\":20}],\"swath_km\":32,\"notes\":\"Chirp bandwidth listed as 300-600 MHz range; 450 MHz used as midpoint estimate. Centre frequency not published. Stripmap swath 20-44 km range; 32 km midpoint. Single-polarimetric (VV assumed as default C-band EO SAR). Antenna: deployable phased array; dimensions not published.\"}","bus":null,"ground_segment":null,"launcher":null,"analysis_service":null,"deployment_context":"orbital"}
- **technology**: radar

## Editorial
SAR-C is a C-band synthetic aperture radar payload manufactured by Dragonfly Aerospace, designed as the primary sensor for the Dragonfly-C satellite. The payload mass is 176 kg; the Dragonfly-C satellite total mass is 350 kg, with a bus dry mass of 163 kg -- the difference reflects propellant, harness, and margins.[^satcatalog-dragonfly-c]

The payload uses a deployable phased-array antenna. Chirp bandwidth spans 300-600 MHz (450 MHz midpoint used; the specific operational value is not published in accessible sources). Single-polarisation configuration is confirmed; VV is assumed as the default C-band EO SAR mode.[^satcatalog-dragonfly-c] Centre frequency, per-mode spatial resolution (range x azimuth), and antenna dimensions are not available from accessible public sources.

Four imaging modes are supported:

| Mode | Swath |
|---|---|
| Stripmap | 20-44 km (32 km midpoint) |
| Spotlight | 10 km |
| ScanSAR | 100 km |
| Sliding Spotlight | 20 km |

As of 2026-05-28, the Dragonfly-C satellite is in development with no confirmed launch date.[^satcatalog-dragonfly-c]

| Methodology | Evidence class |
|---|---|
| SAR backscatter change detection | Capable |
| InSAR surface deformation | Capable (pending review) |
| Optical-SAR fusion | Capable |

## Sources
- [satcatalog-dragonfly-c] | Dragonfly-C - SmallSat Platform | SatCatalog | https://www.satcatalog.com/component/dragonfly-c/ | tier=community | accessed=2026-05-28

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