The satellite-based reconnaissance system SARah began “operational partial operation” last week and is sending the first reconnaissance data from space, as the Bundeswehr procurement office reported on October 5th. SARah replaces the successful SAR-Lupe reconnaissance system, which has been in use since 2007 and has long since exceeded its planned service life.
After successful acceptance, the first of a total of three satellites in the SARah system, along with the associated ground system parts, was transferred to the property of the federal government, writes the BAAINBw. The milestone achieved in the SARah project guarantees the provision of satellite-based reconnaissance capabilities. In this way, the Bundeswehr will ensure its long-term ability to provide imaging reconnaissance worldwide, regardless of the time of day or the weather. At the same time, the data obtained supports early crisis detection and crisis management.
According to the BAAINBw, the satellite, which weighs around four tons, was launched into space from the American Vandenburg Space Force Base in June 2022 with a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX. Since reaching the target orbit, all necessary performance tests have been successfully completed until the transition to the current partial operation.
The name SARah is derived from the “Synthetic Aperture Radar” sensor, an imaging radar using reflector technology. The SAR can be controlled by the ground station and produce images of different resolutions and different viewing angles.
The complete SARah system will consist of three satellites - two with reflector technology, one with phased array radar - that can be controlled from two ground stations. According to current plans, the two remaining satellites are to be launched into space this year. The entire system should be available for operational use for at least ten years.
With SARah, the Bundeswehr's reconnaissance capabilities will be significantly improved. The resolution of the recordings is increased. With the SAR magnifying glass, objects with an edge length of 50 cm or more could be detected. The extent of the improvement has not yet been communicated. The size and number of images will increase and the time delay until the images are transmitted to the ground station should be reduced, among other things by setting up another ground station.
Editors / gwh
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