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The descending equatorial crossing is at 06.00, which is a ‘dawn-dusk’ orbit. 
This means that the satellite is hardly ever in eclipse and so data can be 
acquired at any time. Moreover, since most earth observation satellites cross 
the equator about four hours later than RADARSAT, the chances of a 
conflict with other satellites requiring the same local read-out time at a given 
receiving station is very small. 
Applications of RADARSATdata 
The range of useful applications of RADARSAT data are remarkably diverse 
and there is only space here to refer to some of the more important ones. 
These fall in the general areas of crop monitoring, tropical deforestation, 
marine activities (including sea state), mapping sea ice distribution and 
providing geomorphological information in support of mineral exploration. 
In Canada experiments conducted using airborne radar have shown that, by 
merging data collected at various times during the growing season, 
information can be extracted which shows the progress of various crops 
towards maturity. This in turn can be used in crop predictions models to 
estimate harvest time and yield. The ability of RADARSAT to collect such 
data on a large scale and on a regular schedule regardless of weather makes 
it possible to automate the analysis and use the results for planning sales, 
storage, shipping and other market related activities. 
The Canadian experimental program has also demonstrated the value of SAR 
data to map forest cutting patterns, regrowth success and the construction of 
access roads. This capability is of particular importance for monitoring 
forestry operations in tropical countries where the presence of persistent cloud 
cover makes other methods of very limited use. This will be of value not only 
for forest management but also in estimating the effects of deforestation on 
global climate. 
The use of the RADARSAT SAR to improve the safety of human activities 
offshore includes, among other things, providing information on sea state, 
mapping oil spills, monitoring shipping and tracking the movement of 
icebergs. It is also expected that research on the dynamics of ocean features 
such as fronts, currents and internal waves will lead to many other 
applications of RADARSAT data. 
Of especial interest to Canada, and of course other countries which have 
shipping, offshore exploration or research interests in polar seas, is the