First bistatic spaceborne SAR experiments with TanDEM-X

Journal article (2012)

Authors

Marc Rodriguez-Cassola Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Pau Prats-Iraola Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Andreas Reigber Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Gerhard Krieger Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Alberto Moreira Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Daniel Schulze Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Nuria Tous-Ramon Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Ulrich Steinbrecher Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Luca Marotti Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Matteo Nannini Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Marwan Younis Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Paco López-Dekker Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Manfred Zink Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)

Research Group

Mathematical Geodesy and Positioning () (TU Delft)

Bistatic radar Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Spaceborne SAR missions Bistatic SAR processing Time and phase synchronization

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Published Date

2012

Language

English

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Faculty

Civil Engineering & Geosciences

Department

Geoscience and Remote Sensing

Research Group

Mathematical Geodesy and Positioning

Abstract

TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X Add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements) is a high-resolution interferometric mission with the main goal of providing a global and unprecedentedly accurate digital elevation model of the Earth surface by means of single-pass X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry. Despite its usual quasi-monostatic configuration, TanDEM-X is the first genuinely bistatic SAR system in space. During its monostatic commissioning phase, the system has been mainly operated in pursuit monostatic mode. However, some pioneering bistatic SAR experiments with both satellites commanded in nonnominal modes have been conducted with the main purpose of validating the performance of both space and ground segments in very demanding scenarios. In particular, this letter reports about the first bistatic acquisition and the first single-pass interferometric (mono-/bistatic) acquisition with TanDEM-X, addressing their innovative aspects and focusing on the analysis of the experimental results. Even in the absence of essential synchronization and calibration information, bistatic images and interferograms with similar quality to pursuit monostatic have been obtained.