SAOCOM-1B
CONAE — Argentine Space Agency
SAOCOM-1B is the second and final satellite of Argentina’s SAOCOM (Satélite Argentino de Observación Con Microondas) constellation, developed by CONAE with support from INVAP. Structurally and functionally identical to SAOCOM-1A, it was launched on August 30, 2020 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral — the first commercial polar-orbit launch from the East Coast […]
Technical specifications
- Orbit altitude
- 619 km SSO
- Radar band
- L-band SAR (1.275 GHz)
- Resolution (stripmap)
- ~10 m
- Swath width
- up to 350 km (ScanSAR)
- Satellite mass
- ~1,500 kg
- Launch date
- August 30, 2020
- Launch vehicle
- SpaceX Falcon 9
- Design life
- 5 years
About
SAOCOM-1B is the second and final satellite of Argentina’s SAOCOM (Satélite Argentino de Observación Con Microondas) constellation, developed by CONAE with support from INVAP. Structurally and functionally identical to SAOCOM-1A, it was launched on August 30, 2020 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral — the first commercial polar-orbit launch from the East Coast in over 50 years.
With both SAOCOM-1A and 1B operational, the constellation provides approximately 4-day revisit times over any given location, improving significantly the monitoring cadence for soil moisture, agricultural assessments, and disaster response across South America.
SAOCOM-1B operates in the same sun-synchronous orbit at ~619 km altitude and contributes to the SIASGE constellation together with Italy’s COSMO-SkyMed satellites, enabling multi-frequency SAR fusion (L + X band) for enhanced Earth observation products.
The satellite supports CONAE’s national space plan and international data sharing agreements under the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, providing free satellite imagery to countries affected by natural disasters.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
