A Highly Flexible and Scalable S-band SwarmSAR from Very Simple Nodes

Abstract

The paper introduces the principles and the technical elements supporting the so-called SwarmSAR concept, consisting in a close formation of simple nodes cooperating in a MIMO-like frame to boost their imaging flexibility and performance. The philosophy of the swarm consists in employing extremely basic but self-sufficient nodes, each one guaranteeing sufficient image quality even when used individually. The costs are hence diverted from the node to the formation launching and maintenance aspects. We promote in this paper the use of S-Band as a convenient frequency both for the single node and for the formation requirements and resourceful for applications. An outline of the envisioned cooperative illumination modes, including high resolution imaging and the interferometric modes, and a preliminary discussion on their expected performance and challenges is provided.