Cassini Radar (RADAR)

TL: Dr. Charles Elachi

RADAR Team Leader:

Dr. Charles Elachi
NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mail Stop 180-704
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099
USA

RADAR General Description:

The Cassini Radar (RADAR) uses the five-beam Ku-band antenna feed assembly associated with the spacecraft high gain antenna to direct radar transmissions toward targets, and to capture blackbody radiation and reflected radar signals from targets.

RADAR Scientific Objectives:

To determine whether oceans exist on Titan, and, if so, to determine their distribution.
To investigate the geologic features and topography of the solid surface of Titan.
To acquire data on non-Titan targets (rings, icy satellites) as conditions permit.

RADAR Sensing Instruments:

Synthetic Aperture Radar Imager [SAR] (13.78 GHz Ku-band; 0.35 to 1.7 km resolution)
Altimeter (13.78 GHz Ku-band; 24 to 27 km horizontal, 90 to 150 m vertical resolution)
Radiometer (13.78 GHz passive Ku-band; 7 to 310 km resolution)

RADAR Instrument Characteristics:

Mass (current best estimate) = 41.43 kg
Peak Operating Power (current best estimate) = 108.40 W
Peak Data Rate (current best estimate) = 364.800 kilobits/sec

Prof. Manuel Grande
Last updated: 11 June 2001