AltiKa

Ka-band Altimeter

Satellite

SARAL

Status

Close to launch - To be utilised in the period 2011 to ~ 2016

Mission

Ocean topography, significant wave height, wind speed on sea surface; specific to sea-surface height

Instrument type

Radar altimeter - Single frequency in the Ka-band (35.5-36.0 GHz) with supporting dual-frequency radiometer (23.8 and 36.5 GHz)

Scanning technique

Nadir-only viewing, continuous sampling along track

Coverage/cycle

Global coverage in 35 days (repeat cycle), 30 km average spacing

Resolution

10 km

Resources

Mass: 40 kg  -  Power: 85 W  -  Data rate: 43 kbps