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CarbSAR [OSS]
CarbSAR-IOD is a technology demonstration mission built by SSTL, flying an innovative deployable X-band SAR payload to provide high resolution imaging capabilities night and day, whatever the weather.
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery can provide diverse surveillance intelligence like optical images but, deriving from an active sensor, is not subject to favourable solar illumination or weather conditions considered. The X-band SAR has a ground resolution of 0.5 m and a swath width of 4 km. The deployable dish antenna was built by Oxford Space Systems (OSS).
Applications for the CarbSAR satellites are:
- Defence and security
- Maritime
- Disaster response
- Environment and infrastructure
CarbSAR will capture high resolution SAR imagery during day or night, and in all weather conditions, allowing the reliable provision of information for a range of applications.
| Nation: | UK |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Technology, Earth observation |
| Operator: | SSTL (prime); Oxford Space Systems (antenna) |
| Contractors: | SSTL |
| Equipment: | X-band SAR |
| Configuration: | SSTL-42 |
| Propulsion: | None |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | 5 years |
| Mass: | 140 kg |
| Orbit: | 525 km SSO |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CarbSAR-IOD | 2026-004AL | 11.01.2026 | Va SLC-4E | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | with Pandora, Aether 3, ..., 12, Capella 18, 19, CarbSAR-IOD, ICEYE X63, X64, Flamingo 1, Umbra-SAR 12, Hawk 13A, 13B, 13C, HyMS-IOD, BlackCAT, Connecta-IoT 13, ..., 16, Hydra 2, SPARCS, Tomorrow S10, S11, Dcubed 1, Lemur-2 237, ..., 244 |
Launch Sites:
- Va = Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA
References:
- SSTL: CARBSAR
