TerraSAR-X is a German earth observation satellite that was launched in 2007 and has been orbiting the earth ever since. Its primary payload is an X-band radar sensor with a range of different modes of operation, allowing it to acquire images with different swath widths, resolutions and polarisations. TerraSAR-X thus offers space-based observation capabilities that were previously unavailable. The objective of the mission is to provide value-added SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data in the X-band, for research and development purposes as well as scientific and commercial applications.
