Test evolution: RADARSAT-1 to RADARSAT-2
Test methodology for large spacecraft like RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2 has been modified over the last decade resulting in changes to test environments. These changes in the required test environment have necessitated improvements in the test configuration modelling, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems. This paper will identify the significant changes and how the RADARSAT-2 assembly integration and test program has implemented these improvements.
Assembly, Integration, and Test Methods for Operationally Responsive Space Satellites
Abstract : Current government and industry standards in spacecraft testing result in an Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) timeline greater than six months. These standards will not support the vision of Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) to deploy a satellite within six days to fill an urgent need. Using the Air Force Research Laboratory's Plug-and-Play Satellite (PnPSat), multiple Rapid AIT trials were conducted. By exercising the AIT process with various spacecraft configurations and personnel, methods for reducing or modifying traditional testing regimen were investigated.
Anticipated applications potential of RADARSAT-2 data
In this paper we assess how RADARSAT-2's technical enhancements in terms of polarization, spatial resolution, look direction, and orbit control will impact the potential utility of its data products for 32 applications in the fields of agriculture, cartography, disaster management, forestry, geology, hydrology, oceans, and sea and land ice. Our assessment relies on bibliographic sources and, in particular, case studies drawn from ongoing applications development work at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing and the Canadian Ice Service. The applications potential of RADARSAT-2 data compared with that of RADARSAT-1 data is anticipated to improve in a major, moderate, and minor fashion for 3, 18, and 10 of the identified applications, respectively. For one of the applications considered, the increase in potential of RADARSAT-2 vis-a-vis RADARSAT-1 cannot be assessed because this application relies completely on RADARSAT-2's new full polarimetric capability.