Comparison of Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X TOPS Processor Implementations based on Simulated Data

Abstract

TOPS (Terrain Observation with Progressive Scan) mode is a new and promising mode of operation for future SAR satellite missions and is the baseline for ESA’s GMES Sentinel-1 mission. In 2007, DLR HR demonstrated the technical feasibility of TOPS successfully in space with TerraSAR-X. The processing was carried out at DLR-HR using the Experimental TerraSAR-X TOPS processor. In Sentinel-1, the TOPS operational and verification processor are based on the same prototype implementation and thus, a cross check with the TerraSAR-X TOPS processor was performed in a collaboration between DLR-HR and Aresys under project control of ESA/ESTEC. The paper reports about the comparison of the two TOPS processors based on the analysis of processing results from simulated data, i.e. simulated TerraSAR-X and Sentinel-1 TOPS raw data. The comparison program and the analysed performance parameters are presented in the form of simulated Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X raw data scenarios.