@article{fdi:010082140,
  title = {{T}he {SARAL}/{A}ltika mission : a step forward to the future of altimetry},
  author = {{V}erron, {J}. and {B}onnefond, {P}. and {A}ndersen, {O}. and {A}rdhuin, {F}. and {B}erge-{N}guyen, {M}. and {B}howmick, {S}. and {B}lumstein, {D}. and {B}oy, {F}. and {B}rodeau, {L}. and {C}retaux, {J}. {F}. and {D}abat, {M}. {L}. and {D}ibarboure, {G}. and {F}leury, {S}. and {G}arnier, {F}. and {G}ourdeau, {L}ionel and {M}arks, {K}. and {Q}ueruel, {N}. and {S}andwell, {D}. and {S}mith, {W}. {H}. {F}. and {Z}aron, {E}. {D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he {CNES}/{ISRO} altimetric satellite {SARAL}/{A}lti{K}a was launched in {F}ebruary 2013 and since then has provided useful data for various scientific and operational applications in oceanography, hydrology, cryospheric sciences and geodesy. {H}owever, a {R}eaction {W}heel problem forced relaxation of the repeatability constraint on the satellite's orbit, which has been drifting slowly since {J}uly 2016. {B}eyond the expected contributions of this mission and its very good integration into the objectives of the constellation of altimetric satellites, it has become more and more apparent that specific contributions and innovations related to the main specification of {SARAL}/{A}lti{K}a, that is to say the use of the {K}a-band, have clearly emerged. {T}he advantages of the {K}a-band are in short the reduction of ionosphere effects, the smaller footprint, the better horizontal resolution and the higher vertical resolution. {A} drawback of the {K}a-band is the attenuation due to water/water vapor in case of rain and the resulting loss of data. {T}he main objective of this paper is to highlight the specific advances of the {K}a-band in different scientific and technical fields and to show why they are promising for the future and open the way to several missions or mission projects. {A}lthough unplanned initially, the fine coverage of the {D}rifting {P}hase brings some interesting openings especially for geodesy and hydrology applications.},
  keywords = {{S}atellite ; {A}ltimetry ; {K}a-band},
  booktitle = {25 years of progress in radar altimetry},
  journal = {{A}dvances in {S}pace {R}esearch},
  volume = {68},
  numero = {2 {N}o {S}p{\'e}cial},
  pages = {808--828},
  ISSN = {0273-1177},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.asr.2020.01.030},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010082140},
}