JASON (TOPEX-POSEIDON follow-on) altimeter-technologies and performances

After the success of on-going joined CNES/NASA TOPEX-POSEIDON altimetry mission started in August 92, the follow-on mission JASON is under preparation and is planed to be operational in early 2000. ALCATEL ESPACE is in charge of providing the altimeter which main characteristics are: low weight (50 kg), low power (75 W), low data rate (21 kbps), dual frequency (Ku band & C-band) operation, improved performances (range accuracy, link budget, ...), etc. Technologies involved are at the state of the art: solid state high power amplification, digital chirp generation, digital echo signal demodulation and digital signal processing, intensive use of ASICs and MMICs, improved calibration procedures. Today, an elegant breadboard is under integration and preliminary test performances are available. This paper presents a description of the altimeter, of the new technologies used and of the overall expected performances