Radar astronomy is a research area that uses active radar techniques to investigate solar system bodies and near-Earth space by transmitting radio waves and analyzing their echoes from planetary surfaces, moons, asteroids, comets, and ring systems. It enables precise measurements of distance, velocity, rotation state, surface roughness, and dielectric properties, often at spatial resolutions unattainable by passive remote sensing. Radar astronomy contributes to orbit determination and impact-risk assessment for near-Earth objects, constrains internal structure and regolith properties, and refines planetary ephemerides and tests of gravitational theory. It commonly employs large ground-based facilities, such as planetary radar systems, operating at microwave frequencies optimized for penetration and scattering analyses.
On Wednesday 26 February, a thermal imaging camera built by researchers at the University of Oxford's Department of Physics will blast off to the moon as part of NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission. This aims to map sources ...
Space Exploration
Feb 24, 2025
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Smaller than a strawberry seed, this tiny signal amplifier was produced by the European Space Agency to fill a missing link in current technology, helping to make future radar-observing and telecommunications space missions ...
Space Exploration
Jan 17, 2025
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