BEAWARE: budget effective all weather accurate radar for Earth observation

Today progress in technology and budget constraints have recently highlighted the large interest of a new type of mission definition which consists of one or several dedicated small-satellites, lighter than 700 kg for a moderate cost. For a given mass and cost objective, the design of the SAR instrument to be embarked on a small satellite is the result of a compromise between the required imaging performances, the mission definition from user specifications and the available technology. This paper describes results of an internal system analysis where it has been identified several dedicated missions compatible with a large set of buses and launchers. The design of the SAR instrument incorporates standard hardware products and well established technology.