AbstractThe Seasat and Shuttle imaging radars flown in the 1970s and 1980s established a strong scientific and technical base for a number of imaging radars that are flying or under development. Recent advances in understanding wave‐surface interactions, utilization of multispectral and polarimetric data, as well as advances in microwave and electronic technology, are allowing the development of a new generation of multiparameter imaging radars that will allow quantitative measurements of surface and near‐surface geophysical parameters and monitoring of surface processes over long‐term duration. This article is an overview of spaceborne imaging radars presently flying or under development.