Jason-1 Radar-Altimeter

The Jason-1 Radar-Altimeter, also known as Poseidon-2, is a spaceborne radar manufactured by Thales Alenia Space of France. Launched on December 7, 2001, aboard the Jason-1 satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base, it serves as the primary instrument for ocean surface topography measurements, continuing the mission of its predecessor, TOPEX/Poseidon. Operating at Ku-band (13.575 GHz) and C-band (5.3 GHz) frequencies, the Poseidon-2 emits pulses with a pulse width of 105.6 µs and a pulse repetition frequency of 1800 Hz ±10%, analyzing the return signal reflected from the Earth's surface to an accuracy of 3.3 centimeters. The C-band frequency is specifically used to determine the electron content in the ionosphere. The radar features a 1.2-meter parabolic reflector antenna with a gain of 42 dB and a solid-state power amplifier, transmitting with an average power of 7 W and a bandwidth of 320 MHz. Jason-1 orbits at an altitude of 1336 km, completing an orbital period every 9.9156 days, with a platform velocity of 7.2 km/s. Its orbit is designed to pass over dedicated ground calibration sites at Cap Senetosa in Corsica and the Harvest oil rig platform in California, USA.

radartutorial.eu: https://www.radartutorial.eu/19.kartei/09.space/karte004.en.html