The next Generation of DLR's C-band Transponders for Calibrating future SAR Systems - Status and Outlook

Abstract

Since more than 30 years the DLR SAR Calibration Center is active in the calibration of spaceborne SAR Systems. Three C-band transponders, named „Kalibri, and three remote-controlled corner reflectors were commissioned in 2014 and have been serving as central calibration field for ESA‘s Sentinel-1 mission. In order to be well prepared for the future, DLR intensifies its development activities for novel C-band transponders. The increasing complexity of modern SAR missions requires for suitable reference targets with state-of-the-art hardware. In this paper the current status of DLR’s C-band transponder development including a roadmap is presented. Within the next years a new generation of innovative C-band transponders will be developed, in order to be well prepared for the calibration of future SAR missions.