Instruments

The CFOSAT's payload is composed of two radar instruments: SWIM and SCAT. Both are working at Ku-band scanning around the vertical axis with a more or less large incidences: large incidence to measure the wind (SCAT) and smaller incidence to measure the waves (SWIM).

The interest for the combination of these two radar instruments is evident since surface wind is the energy source which creates the surface waves and will help to separate the different effects governing the evolution of the wave field.

  • SWIM

    The radar SWIM is a real-aperture radar (RAR) with 6 beams at small incidences (0 to 10°), supplied by Cnes to measure the surface waves.

  • SCAT

    The scatterometer SCAT is a rotating fan-beam radar with larger incidence angles (18~50°). It is supplied by the chinese space agency to measure the wind speed.