Goodbye SARNext, we hardly knew you, hello CHORUS. MDA’s next-generation satellite SARnext is now growing into a multi-sensor Earth observation constellation known as CHORUS.
MDA announced the new program name and capability expansion today to coincide with World Satellite Business Week in Paris. Tomorrow, MDA CEO Mike Greenley will be on panel (3:00 am ET) where we might more learn more details on the composition of the satellite constellation.
Here’s what we know.
MDA is a leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology with a long heritage in developing SAR sensors. It currently owns RADARSAT-2 and developed the three satellite RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) for the Canadian government. When it became clear they would not be able to commercialize RCM data in a timely, profitable way, they began looking at what to do next. At the same time the government is looking at a follow-on to RCM but that program is moving extremely slow.
MDA made the decision to move forward on its own announcing what would become the SARnext program in February of this year.
The new CHORUS constellation “will initially include C-band and X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites.” The statement from MDA today suggests other capabilities may be added.
SpaceQ contacted MDA for more details but we’re told there are no other details available at this time. However, we did learn that at this time MDA initial plan is is for one large C-band satellite and one small X-band satellite.
MDA described the constellation as follows:
“The powerful C-band SAR satellite will provide broad area coverage in concert with a smaller trailing X-band SAR satellite for higher resolution data collection and Near Real-Time (NRT) cross-cueingย day or night and in all weather conditions. The X-band satellite will fly in the same mid-inclination orbit with the identical ground track as the MDA-built C-band SAR satellite.”
“In keeping with RADARSAT heritage, CHORUS will showcase unique capability for maritime surveillance and other time-critical applications, such as land intelligence and disaster response. This NRT capability will be enabled through fast-tasking for tactical operations and direct downlinks to a global network of cloud-enabled ground stations.”
“With core C-band and X-band sensors operating in a unique mid-inclination orbit, CHORUS will support higher imaging frequency between the mid-latitude areas of the northern and southern hemispheres. With tipping and cueing techniques, higher imaging performance, more imaging time per orbit, fast-tasking, faster delivery timelines and NRT data exploitation aided by machine-learning and artificial intelligence, CHORUS will offer advanced, innovative and disruptive Earth observation services, including:”
- protection of national security and sovereignty by providing critical time sensitive data and intelligence on maritime and land activities;
- detection of illegal activities such as overfishing, deforestation, or bilge water dumping;
- monitoring of crops, critical infrastructure, transportation corridors, coastal erosion and the effects of climate change;
- provision of timely information to support humanitarian aid disaster response in response to floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes and marine oil spills; and
- routine systematic observations for a variety of applications natural resources, industrial and geographic applications including agriculture, forestry, mining and exploration activities.
In a statement Mike Greenley said “The greatest moments in Earth exploration happen collaboratively, when diverse insights and information are united to create something bigger and more meaningful. With C-band SAR, we are able to find a needle in a haystack. With the addition of X-band data, we will be able to thread that needle. By pushing the envelope and creating flexibility to integrate additional data sources and sensors, we want others to join our CHORUS and help us change how and when we see the world.”