TerraSAR-X Performance Update

Abstract

TerraSAR-X is the first German Radar satellite for scientific and commercial applications. The project is a public-private partnership between DLR and EADS Astrium GmbH. TerraSAR-X consists of a high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar at X-Band. The radar antenna is based on active phased array technology that allows the control of many different instrument parameters and operational modes (Stripmap, ScanSAR and Spotlight) with various polarizations. In preparation for the TS-X Launch, scheduled for June 2006, a comprehensive SAR performance estimation update is presented in this paper. The paper covers all available TerraSAR-X operational modes and provides the performance estimation based on the latest instrument measurements and parameter optimizations. This overall SAR performance estimation provides the best possible pre-launch information to the final user. The strategies for the instrument parameter settings are discussed, ranging from the acquisition parameters like PRF, transmitted bandwidth or receiving window length over antenna excitation coefficients to the BAQ-settings. Processing parameters like processed bandwidth and applied weighting functions are included as well as calibration errors. The performance estimation also includes realistic error budgets. The following standard performance parameter classes are included in the estimation: geometric and radiometric resolution, noise, scene coverage and product location accuracy, as well as ambiguity analysis. The first section of the paper introduces the parameters that define the SAR performance of TerraSAR-X. The second one summarizes all operational modes by assigning the specified values for the performance parameters. In the third section, the strategies for the performance optimizations are presented. Finally, the latest performance estimation results are given in section four.