Planned for launch next year, British scientists are developing the umbrella satellite CarbSar

CTOnews.com, May 9 (Xinhua)-- two British companies have announced plans to launch an umbrella satellite called CarbSar next year to capture higher-quality images of the Earth through a knitted antenna (knitted antennas), according to BBC.

The CarbSar satellite, jointly developed by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited and Oxford Space Systems, is characterized by light weight, easy to carry, saves valuable materials, and is easy to deploy in space.

Surrey says the satellite can be combined with X-band SAR payload so that satellite imaging is not affected by the weather and can improve high-resolution imaging all the time.

The CarbSar satellite will use radar technology to penetrate the clouds and observe the earth around the clock. The antenna is designed so that the satellite can easily withstand the harsh space environment and prevent solar radiation.

CarbSar satellite is made of tungsten wire mesh and will be folded when launched; after entering the orbit, it spreads out to form an umbrella, and through the connected carbon-based antenna, it can send and receive radio signals in orbit.

After the deployment of the CarbSar satellite, the antenna is 9 feet long and the entire satellite weighs 330lbs (CTOnews.com note).