How did this mission differ from Space Radar Laboratory, which flew in 1994? Whats new about SRTM?
The heart of the SRTM radar was the SIR-C/X-SAR radar, which flew twice on the space shuttle in 1994. Several modifications were made, which gave the SRTM system new capabilities compared with the SIR-C/X-SAR. The major changes were the addition of C-band and X-band antennas at the end of the 60-meter (200-foot) mast. These secondary, or “outboard” antennas, allowed the radar to use a technique called interferometry to map the elevation of the terrain in a single pass, which was not possible with SIR-C/X-SAR. Interferometry can be likened to a person dropping two pebbles into a puddle of water and watching the ripples, or concentric circles of water emanating outward from the splash, meet and interfere with each other. Those interference patterns caused by the rippling water from the two pebbles are measured by the radar systems onboard the shuttle to acquire topographic data.
Related Questions
- Since the SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) data was collected with radar imagery, do these values include building heights?
- How did this mission differ from Space Radar Laboratory, which flew in 1994? Whats new about SRTM?
- Where can I get info on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data?
