3 ms·
The finer the resolution, the more narrow the scanner path is (and in any case satellite scanner paths aren't that wide, also for low-resolution optical scans).
by Tor3 2y ago
The finer the resolution, the more narrow the scanner path is (and in any case satellite scanner paths aren't that wide, also for low-resolution optical scans). The Umbra satellite swath is a tiny 4km wide. And then along-track as well.
The total area a radar satellite (or an optical one) can scan at any particular time is very limited. A satellite, even multiple ones, will only see an airliner if it happens to be in the right spot at the right time.
- dr_orpheus 2y agoIt's also not imaging all the time. The SAR imaging takes A LOT of power, so they can't run it constantly. If you look at the image in the article showing where the images were taken they are all near geopolitical hotspots, coastlines, high shipping areas, etc. It's not just a swath scan of the whole world.
- m2fkxy 2y agoalso, by the physics of synthetic aperture radar, UMBRA (or any other satellite operator for that matter) can only collect 16 centimetres data at an angle equal or greater than ~45 degrees off-nadir (and for UMBRA, less than ~60 degrees off-nadir). this further restricts the footprint of feasible data collection.