Canada’s first Earth Observation satellite, the solar powered RADARSAT-1, experienced a glitch in late March – one it may be unlikely to recover from.
The Canadian Space Agency says as a result of the ‘technical anomaly’, RADARSAT-1 entered into safe mode, a semi-dormant state in which the satellite conserves energy. While this will provide the CSA with time to investigate and assess any necessary remedial action; expectations of a full recovery are low.
Far from being a failure, RADARSAT-1 has surpassed its expected lifetime by 12 years.
Developed and operated by the CSA, RADARSAT-1 was launched November 4, 1995 and has provided the world with large amounts of data relating to cartography, ice studies and observations, hydrology, oceanography, agriculture, forestry and disaster management.
RADARSAT-1’s 17-plus years of operation has been powered by a 2.5 kW solar panel array and a 3 x 48 Ah NiCd battery bank.
Equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a powerful microwave instrument; it covered the Arctic daily and the entire Earth every 24 days.
RADARSAT-1 is in orbit 798 kilometres above the Earth, circling from pole to pole in a sun-synchronous orbit.
In the event the issue affecting RADARSAT-1 cannot be fixed, the 2,750-kilogram satellite may circle the planet for over a decade before falling back to Earth. Most of it will vaporize upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
The absence of RADARSAT-1 will be compensated for by RADARSAT-2, which was launched in December 2007.
The CSA is also developing RADARSAT Constellation; a three-satellite configuration. RADARSAT Constellation satellite launches are planned for 2018 to ensure there is no data gap at RADARSAT-2’s end of life.
Source/image source
