Synthetic aperture radar in geosynchronous orbit

摘要

Radar images of the earth were taken with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) from geosynchronous orbital ranges by utilizing satellite motion relative to a geostationary position. A suitable satellite motion was obtained by having an orbit plane inclined relative to the equatorial plane and by having an eccentric orbit. Potential applications of these SAR images are topography, water resource management and soil moisture determination. Preliminary calculations show that the United States can be mapped with 100 m resolution cells in about 4 hours. With the use of microwave signals the mapping can be performed day or night, through clouds and during adverse weather.