The ERS-1 and ERS-2 Satellites

The European Remote Sensing Satellites (ERS) are designed to study many processes of the Earth's oceans and land with with a suite of instruments, one of which is a SAR on the AMI.

ERS-1 was launched in 1991 and ERS-2 in 1995.

The Active Microwave Instrument (AMI) operates in three modes:
1.SAR Image Mode, for the acquisition of wide swath images over the oceans, polar ice caps and land areas
2.SAR Wave Mode, yielding 5 km x 5 km images at regular intervals along track for the derivation of length and direction of ocean waves
3.Wind Scatteromenter Mode, using three separate antennae for measurements of sea-surface, wind speed, and direction

ERS SAR Sensor Specifications

The ERS-1 and the ERS-2 were built by the European Space Agency.

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