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Radar: The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper

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Abstract

The Cassini RADAR instrument is a multimode 13.8 GHz multiple-beam sensor that can operate as a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) imager, altimeter, scatterometer, and radiometer. The principal objective of the RADAR is to map the surface of Titan. This will be done in the imaging, scatterometer, and radiometer modes. The RADAR altimeter data will provide information on relative elevations in selected areas. Surfaces of the Saturn’s icy satellites will be explored utilizing the RADAR radiometer and scatterometer modes. Saturn’s atmosphere and rings will be probed in the radiometer mode only. The instrument is a joint development by JPL/NASA and ASI. The RADAR design features significant autonomy and data compression capabilities. It is expected that the instrument will detect surfaces with backscatter coefficient as low as −40 dB.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, U.S.A.

    C. Elachi, E. Im, M. A. Janssen, W. T. K. Johnson, S. J. Ostro, L. E. Roth & S. D. Wall

  2. Goddard Institute for Space Studies, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, New York, NY, 10025, U.S.A.

    M. D. Allison

  3. Alenia Aerospazio, 00131, Rome, Italy

    L. Borgarelli

  4. Observatoire de Paris, 92195, Meudon, France

    P. Encrenaz

  5. U. S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001, U.S.A.

    R. L. Kirk & L. A. Soderblom

  6. Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, U.S.A.

    R. D. Lorenz & J. I. Lunine

  7. Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, U.S.A.

    D. O. Muhleman

  8. Universit’a La Sapienza, 00184, Rome, Italy

    G. Picardi & R. Seu

  9. Dip. Interateneo di Fisica, Politecnico di Bari, 70126, Bari, Italy

    F. Posa

  10. British Antarctic Survey, CB3 0ET, Cambridge, U.K.

    C. G. Rapley

  11. Facolt’a di Ingegneria, 80125, Naples, Italy

    S. Vetrella

  12. University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, 58202, U.S.A.

    C. A. Wood

  13. Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, U.S.A.

    H. A. Zebker

Authors
  1. C. Elachi
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  2. M. D. Allison
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  3. L. Borgarelli
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  4. P. Encrenaz
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  5. E. Im
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  6. M. A. Janssen
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  7. W. T. K. Johnson
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  8. R. L. Kirk
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  9. R. D. Lorenz
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  10. J. I. Lunine
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  11. D. O. Muhleman
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  12. S. J. Ostro
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  13. G. Picardi
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  15. C. G. Rapley
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  16. L. E. Roth
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  17. R. Seu
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  18. L. A. Soderblom
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  19. S. Vetrella
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  20. S. D. Wall
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  21. C. A. Wood
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  22. H. A. Zebker
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. D. Wall.

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RADAR Team Leader

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Elachi, C., Allison, M.D., Borgarelli, L. et al. Radar: The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper. Space Sci Rev 115, 71–110 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-004-1438-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-004-1438-9

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