SARAL carries the following four payloads:
- Ka-band altimeter with enhanced bandwidth
- Ionospheric effects are negligible
- Better vertical resolution (0.3m)
- Ka-band (35 GHz) authorizes a compact, lightweight instrument easier to accommodate on a wide range of satellite buses.
- Dual-frequency radiometer (24/37 GHz)
- Required for tropospheric correction
- Derived from Madras (Megha-Tropiques) developments.
- Laser Retro-reflector Array
- Useful for orbitography and system calibration.
- DORIS
- For adequate orbitography performances in low earth orbit
- Enable to have similar performance as reference missions like T/P, JASON, ENVISAT
- Required for mean sea level analysis and coastal/inland application.