The making of a satellite – The RADARSAT Constellation

Uploaded on January 27, 2017

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The making of a satellite – The RADARSAT Constellation

2017-01-27 - Canada is currently building and testing the three identical satellites of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM). This animation presents the key components of an RCM satellite. (Credits: Canadian Space Agency, MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA))

The Making of a Satellite – The RADARSAT Constellation

Satellite bus: Structural body that contains the command and control centre – the brain of the satellite

Satellite payload: Instruments receiving and managing all raw data collected

Thermal blankets: Thin insulation materials protecting the satellite from extreme temperature and ultraviolet radiation

Solar panels: Capturing solar energy, they provide power to the satellite

Synthetic aperture radar panels: Main instrument that emits a radar signal to the Earth’s surface and receives back its echo to generate data

Automatic identification system antenna: Receives information signals emitted by vessels at sea

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