SAR Instrument Operation, Calibration and Verification with a Long Term Data Base

Abstract

Abstract—The paper presents the principal architecture for operation, calibration and verification of a SAR instrument based on a Long Term Data Base (LTDB). The LTDB provides two main functionalities to the ground segment, an archive and an analysis component. It is a big and well organized archive for storage of SAR instrument and mission related data used during the whole mission lifetime for archiving instrument parameters and selected SAR image data. By means of comprehensive access functionalities the LTDB provides the basis for SAR instrument verification, long term monitoring and contingency handling. Relations can be established between data of all components of the SAR mission, i.e. SAR operations, mission operation, calibration, verification, SAR data reception as well as processing. The presented concept has been the basis for the development of the TerraSAR-X instrument operations, calibration and verification.