Spectrasat - A hybrid ROWS/SAR approach to monitor ocean waves from space

Evidence from both Seasat and the Shuttle Imaging Radar indicates that Doppler contamination in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) at the shorter azimuth (along-track) ocean wavelengths can seriously limit the instrument performance. Although the problem is alleviated at low orbital altitudes, it is never completely eliminated, particularly for higher wave slopes. By combining a SAR with a conically scanning altimeter (a radar ocean-wave spectrometer) on a common low-altitude platform, the disadvantages of each tend to be offset by the advantages of the other. Thus, a hybrid combination of the two may be the most practical approach to monitoring ocean waves from space.