Nadir Margins in TerraSAR-X Timing Commanding

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis and discussion of the Nadir return in the context of radar timing. Results obtained during the Commissioning Phase of TerraSAR-X in verification and measurement of Nadir return and timing margins are shown. Pre-launch assumptions about the Nadir margins were verified and optimized, which led to an improvement in the timing commanding, i.e. a relaxing of the timing. By means of three early acquired TerraSAR-X images which contain Nadir returns their characteristic properties are shown and explained.