NewSpace SAR: Disruptive Concepts for Cost Effective Earth Observation Missions

Abstract

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a key remote sensing technique for Earth observation. Future SAR missions will deliver weekly high-resolution images of our planet, thereby allowing quantification of several essential climate variables. While this is a huge step forward compared to current systems, some applications require even more frequent temporal sampling or simultaneous acquisitions from slightly different observation angles. NewSpace SAR denotes all groundbreaking solutions that enable frequent and enhanced SAR imaging at affordable costs. Besides the technological developments, e.g., mass-produced platforms for constellations of SAR satellites, application-driven SAR system design approaches play a fundamental role. Moreover, disruptive concepts based on formations of alternately-transmitting satellites, waveform or phase encoding and multi-focus-post processing, allow relaxing the design constraints, reducing complexity, size, and cost of the SAR instrument, and still retrieving the desired information from SAR data. These solutions will help spreading the on-going NewSpace revolution to SAR remote sensing and posing the basis for future Earth observation missions that will yield remarkable societal benefits.