First bistatic spaceborne SAR experiments with TanDEM-X

Journal Article (2012)
Author(s)

Marc Rodriguez-Cassola (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Pau Prats (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Daniel Schulze (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Nuria Tous-Ramon (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Ulrich Steinbrecher (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Luca Marotti (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Matteo Nannini (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Marwan Younis (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Paco López-Dekker (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Manfred Zink (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Andreas Reigber (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Gerhard Krieger (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

Alberto Moreira (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR))

DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1109/LGRS.2011.2158984 Final published version
More Info
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Publication Year
2012
Language
English
Issue number
1
Volume number
9
Article number
5970084
Pages (from-to)
33-37
Downloads counter
264

Abstract

TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X Add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements) is a high-resolution interferometric mission with the main goal of providing a global and unprecedentedly accurate digital elevation model of the Earth surface by means of single-pass X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry. Despite its usual quasi-monostatic configuration, TanDEM-X is the first genuinely bistatic SAR system in space. During its monostatic commissioning phase, the system has been mainly operated in pursuit monostatic mode. However, some pioneering bistatic SAR experiments with both satellites commanded in nonnominal modes have been conducted with the main purpose of validating the performance of both space and ground segments in very demanding scenarios. In particular, this letter reports about the first bistatic acquisition and the first single-pass interferometric (mono-/bistatic) acquisition with TanDEM-X, addressing their innovative aspects and focusing on the analysis of the experimental results. Even in the absence of essential synchronization and calibration information, bistatic images and interferograms with similar quality to pursuit monostatic have been obtained.