SENTINEL-1 Satellite System architecture: Design, performances and operations

This paper provides an overview of the main features of GMES SENTINEL-1 Satellite System, a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite for Earth Observation. The main system requirements are presented as drivers for the design of satellite and operations. The paper will include a description of the satellite general architecture, the decomposition into modules and a description of all functional subsystems. In addition, the major design challenges, the most critical developments, the main performances and operational concepts are outlined.