Trinidad - Northrop Grumman

On 24 August 2009, the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the Department of Commerce, granted a license to Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp., One Space Park, Redondo Beach, CA to operate a private, commercial, space-based, remote sensing system named “Trinidad.” Northrop Grumman can deliver Trinidad quickly to help the U.S. gain a more complete picture of the threats the country faces today on a global scale.

Northrop Grumman has an exclusive teaming agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries to provide a responsive, cost-effective, space-based, synthetic aperture radar capability to U.S. government agencies and departments based on IAI’s TECSAR multi-mode, X-band radar imaging satellite.

Trinidad consists of one synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operating at X-band, capable of collecting imagery with ground resolution of 1 meter, day or night, in all weather conditions. Trinidad is designed to provide access up to four times per day over mid-latitude targets of interest, with optional rapid direct data downlink from the satellite to transportable user terminals. Trinidad will offer flexible beam control techniques, supporting spotlight and wide area modes, as well as polarimetric imaging.

The Trinidad satellite will be launched by a small US booster from a US launch site. The satellite will operate in a moderately inclined, circular, low earth orbit (around 500 km). Imagery and other radar data products will be sold to government agencies, as well as commercial private- and public-sector customers. Command, telemetry and mission image data transmission between the satellite and the US-based control center comply with international S and X-Band frequency allocations for space communications.