Digital Beam Forming Techniques for Spaceborne Reflector SAR Systems

摘要

A new generation of space borne radar remote sensing systems is currently being under investigation. The concept ofrnreflector antennas in conjunction with feed arrays, which is well established on communication satellites, is exploited forrnSynthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors. One of the main goals for future SAR systems is to replace parts of the ana-rnlog radio frequency hardware, being a major cost driver, in the receive chain with digital components. These innovativernsystems allow a flexible data handling and the implementation of digital beam forming (DBF) concepts. The main advan-rntage of multi channel systems is to overcome the inherent limitations of state-of-the-art SAR instruments and enable thernproduction of wide swath high resolution imagery at the same time. In the frame of these developments DBF algorithms,rnaiming at a performance improvement, are analyzed and adapted to the requirements of reflector based SAR sensors. ThernDBF concepts presented in this paper are illustrated by means of numerical simulations.