Distributed UAV-SAR: A Distributed Drone-Based Synthetic Aperture Radar System for the Investigation and Demonstration of Novel Applications, Imaging Algorithms and Future Spaceborne Radar Concepts

Abstract

In this paper DLR's distributed multi-static drone-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system "Distributed UAV-SAR" is introduced and some technical details are presented. The system consists of several octocopters, each equipped with a custom-build and reconfigurable software defined multi-channel SAR sensor and a localization unit with integrated radar synchronization capabilities. For single-pass and multi-baseline interferometric and tomographic radar applications the octocopters need to fly safely in close formation with pre-defined and controlled three-dimensional distances to each other. For coherent multi-static SAR imaging the radar clocks of the spatially distributed SAR sensors have to be synchronized. The methods used for formation flight control and radar clock synchronization are also briefly discussed in the paper. The Distributed UAV-SAR system is currently under development and will be operational in the second half 2026.