Concurrent Imaging Mode Design and Performance Prediction for Experimental SAR Acquisitions using TerraSAR-X

Abstract

Stripmap and spotlight have been the standard and most used acquisition modes in the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) industry. Each mode has its own characteristics and is used according to customers’ requirements. However, there are situations in which both modes are of interest, namely scenes in which not only a broader view but also a highresolution image of a small region are required. In these situations, the main solution to acquire both images is to wait until the next satellite approach to this region, which may take up to 11 days. This study aims to design and validate a concurrent imaging technique in which both acquisition modes are performed simultaneously. In order to make this possible, a very high pulse repetition frequency (PRF) must be used. Therefore, the study focuses mainly on timing constraints and imaging performance prediction. Finally, experiments with real data have been carried out to evaluate and validate the proposed imaging technique.