TanDEM-X: A Satellite Formation for High Resolution Radar Interferometry

Abstract

TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement) is a mission for an innovative spaceborne radar interferometer which has been approved for the realisation phase. TanDEM-X opens a new era in the German space programme and will provide a major push for the research activities on high resolution X-Band SAR. The mission has been evaluated in a phase A study by a joint DLR and EADS Astrium GmbH team, the phase B study is currently ongoing. The TanDEM-X mission has the primary objective of generating a consistent, global DEM with an unprecedented accuracy according to the HRTI-3 specifications. Beyond that, TanDEMX provides a configurable SAR interferometric platform for demonstrating new SAR techniques and applications. The TanDEM-X satellite is designed for five years of nominal operation. Three years of joint operation with TerraSAR-X will be sufficient to fulfil the TanDEM-X user requirements. The launch of TanDEM-X is planned for March 2009. This paper gives a short overview of the TanDEMX mission concept, summarizes the basic products, illustrates the achievable performance, and gives some examples for new imaging modes. In addition, the scientific exploration of the TanDEM-X data is presented.