# SARah active phased-array SAR
*sensor . products*

Active phased-array synthetic-aperture radar payload flown on SARah-1.

## Specifications
- **manufacturer**: airbus-ds
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **product status**: operational
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"sar","measurement_principle":"active","frequency_band":"X","spec_disclosure":"undisclosed","notes":"Public sources disclose active phased-array SAR architecture but not headline imaging modes or frequency details beyond SARah/SAR-Lupe X-band heritage."}
- **entity type**: sensor
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-16
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: airbus-ds
- **attributes**: {"kind":"sensor","manufacturer":"airbus-ds","deployment_context":"orbital","product_status":"operational","description":"Active phased-array synthetic-aperture radar payload flown on SARah-1.","sensor":"{\"instrument_family\":\"sar\",\"measurement_principle\":\"active\",\"frequency_band\":\"X\",\"spec_disclosure\":\"undisclosed\",\"notes\":\"Public sources disclose active phased-array SAR architecture but not headline imaging modes or frequency details beyond SARah/SAR-Lupe X-band heritage.\"}"}

## Editorial
SARah active phased-array SAR is the active radar payload flown on SARah-1 within Germany's SARah radar reconnaissance system. It is an active X-band SAR instrument with a phased-array antenna, and its radar technology is a further development of TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X, and PAZ radar-satellite technology. [^dlr-sarah] [^airbus-sarah-1]

Detailed imaging modes, centre frequency, swath, and resolution remain undisclosed, so performance values from related SAR heritage are outside the confirmed SARah-1 specification. [^airbus-sarah-1] [^bundeswehr-sarah-2]

SAR backscatter and SAR backscatter change detection are demonstrated for the SARah mission context, with no added claims about tasking cadence or classified operating modes. [^airbus-sarah-1]

## Compositional position
- sarah (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> SARah active phased-array SAR

## Sources
- [dlr-sarah] | SARah satellite-based radar reconnaissance system, DLR | https://www.dlr.de/en/research-and-transfer/security-and-defence/defence-research/sarah-satellite-based-radar-reconnaissance-system | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16
- [airbus-sarah-1] | Airbus-built SARah-1 ready for launch | https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022-06-airbus-built-earth-observation-satellite-sarah-1-ready-for-launch | tier=operator-press | accessed=2026-06-16
- [bundeswehr-sarah-2] | Satellite launch 2.0 - SARah on its way into space, Bundeswehr | https://www.bundeswehr.de/en/organization/equipment/news/sarah-on-its-way-into-space | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16
- [ohb-sarah-contract] | OHB System AG SARah contract announcement | https://www.ohb.de/en/ad-hoc-mitteilungen/ohb-system-ag-erhaelt-auftrag-fuer-entwicklung-und-bau-des-radarsatelliten-aufklaerungssystems-sarah-fuer-die-deutsche-bundeswehr | tier=operator-press | accessed=2026-06-16

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