Instrument class · Surface topography & roughness (radio echoes)

Radar

An active instrument that transmits radio waves and analyses the echoes to map surfaces through cloud and darkness, or to probe beneath the surface. Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) achieves high resolution from orbit.

Instruments of this class

Magellan Synthetic Aperture RadarInstrument
Magellan's imaging radar, which pierced Venus's thick clouds to map 98% of the planet's surface at high resolution.

Knowledge connections

Group includesMagellan Synthetic Aperture Radar

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
ESAEuropean Space Agency
European missions, observatories, and space science imagery.