TerraSAR-X Instrument, SAR System Performance and Command Generation

Abstract

The TerraSAR-X launch was the 15 June 2007. Only 4 days later the first image was delivered, showing the success of the previous efforts to optimize the commanding and processing. However, after launch in six month Commissioning Phase a lot of optimizations, characterization and verification of the SAR system was carried out. This paper reports the results of the instrument characterization and verification. The second part reports about SAR system performance measurement based on the analysis of dedicated data acquisitions. 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. The instrument characterization and verification focuses on the essential tests required as prerequisite for the initial characterization and the costly external calibration campaign. The instrument characterization is based on the analysis of non-imaging system data takes with calibration pulses only, basic SAR image products, and instrument related house keeping values. Based on the results of the performance measurement the SAR commanding has been improved and another dedicated verification data takes have been executed.