JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo

SIR-A

Shuttle Imaging Radar-A

Designed to fly aboard NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-2, Shuttle Imaging Radar-A was the first in a series of instruments that imaged Earth using radar pulses, rather than optical light, as illumination.

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

Nov. 12, 1981

Type

Instrument

Target

Earth

Status

Past

About the mission

Designed to fly aboard NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-2, Shuttle Imaging Radar-A was the first in a series of instruments that imaged Earth using radar pulses, rather than optical light, as illumination. The instrument helped detect the remnants of buried ancient riverbeds in the Sahara Desert because it could peer beneath features like sand, which are impenitrable to optical light observations.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory built the instrument and its follow-ons, which were the largest space structures ever built at JPL.

More about Earth

Image .

London, England Parks

News .

NASA Measures Underground Water Flowing From Sierra to Central Valley

News .

NASA Scientists and Satellites Make Sense of Earth’s Subtle Motions

Image .

Potosi, Bolivia

Image .

California Atmospheric River Storms Captured by NASA's AIRS

News .

NASA Space Missions Pinpoint Sources of CO2 Emissions on Earth

News .

Watch the Latest Water Satellite Unfold Itself in Space

Image .

Eriskay Island, Scotland

News .

NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Sentinel-6B Mission

Image .

Airborne NASA Radar Maps Mauna Loa Lava Changes in Hawaii

› Instrument website

Explore Other Missions

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

Deep Space Atomic Clock

AcrimSat

ASTER

Airborne Snow Observatory

ECOSTRESS

Aquarius

AVIRIS-NG

Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer

CloudSat

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018