Largely identical to ERS-1. The platform is based on the design developed for the French SPOT satellite.
Payload electronics accommodated in a box-shaped housing on the platform; antennas fitted to a bearing structure.
AMI - active microwave instrument consisting of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and a wind scatterometer (both in the C-band). See AMI.
RA- radar altimeter: takes precise measurements of the distance from the ocean surface and of wave heights. See Radar Altimeter.
ATSR - along-track scanning radiometer (operating in the infrared and visible ranges): measures sea surface temperatures and the vegetation cover of land surfaces. See ATSR-2.
GOME - global ozone monitoring experiment, an absorption spectrometer which measures the presence of ozone, trace gases and aerosols in the stratosphere and troposphere. See GOME.
MS - microwave sounder: supplies data on atmospheric humidity.
PRARE - precise range and range rate equipment: ERS orbit and trajectory determination.
LRR - laser reflector: determines satellite position using ground-based laser stations.
IDHT - instrument data handling and transmission: temporary on-board data storage by means of two 6.5 GBit tape recorders, equivalent to the data volume acquired in one orbit. Recording, formatting and transmission of data at 105 Mbit/s (transmission of SAR imaging data in real time), or 15 Mbit/s (transfer from tape recorder).
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