BackForward Satellite: SARAL 

Satellite details
Acronym SARAL
Full name Satellite with ARGOS and AltiKa
WIGOS Station Identifier ---
Satellite Description
  • Single flight unit of the SARAL programme.
  • Main mission: ocean observation.
  • Substantial contribution to Solid earth.
Mass at launch 630 kg Dry mass 450 kg
Power 850 W
Data access link http://www.aviso.altimetry.fr/en/data/products/sea-surface-height-products/global/gdr-igdr-and-ogdr.html
Data access information
  • Altimetry products distributed by EUMETSAT in near-real time (OGDR: Operational Geophysical Data Record) and by CNES in delayed time (GDR: Geophysical Data Record), outside India. More info at https://navigator.eumetsat.int/search?query=saral
  • Delayed time products provided by AVISO
Orbit Sunsynchronous orbit Altitude 800 km
ECT 05:56 asc

 

Space agency CNES , ISRO
Status Operational
Details on Status
(as available)
  • Orbit drifting.
Launch 25 Feb 2013 EOL ≥2024
Last update: 2024-05-02
Associated satellite programme and related satellites

Note: red tag: no longer operational , green tag: operational , blue tag : future

Satellite Payload

All known Instruments flying on SARAL

Acronym Full name
A-DCS Advanced Data Collection System (also called "Argos-3")
AltiKa Ka-band Altimeter
DORIS Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite
LRA Laser Retroreflector Array
Show instrument status and calibration
Satellite frequencies for Earth Observation, data transfer and platform communications and control
Frequencies for satellite management
Service Direction Frequency (MHz) Emission designator Bandwidth (kHz) Polarisation D/A Data rate (kbps) or Baseband (kHz) Comments
DORIS E-S 401.25 MHz 23K0G1D 23 kHz RHCP D   Precise positioning by DORIS
DORIS E-S 2036.25 MHz 95K0G1D 95 kHz RHCP D   Precise positioning by DORIS
Earth observation MW frequencies
Service Sensing mode Frequency (GHz) Bandwidth (MHz) Polarisation Comments
Altika active 36 GHz - 35.75 GHz 0 MHz - Ka-band radar altimeter
Altika passive 23.8 GHz 200 MHz - Water vapour channel associated to the altimeter
Altika passive 36.5 GHz 200 MHz - Window channel associated to the altimeter