Pre-Flight SAOCOM-1A SAR Performance Assessment by Outdoor Campaign

In the present paper, we describe the design, execution, and the results of an outdoor experimental campaign involving the Engineering Model of the first of the two Argentinean L-band Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs) of the Satélite Argentino de Observación con Microondas (SAOCOM) mission, SAOCOM-1A...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Davide Giudici, Andrea Monti Guarnieri, Juan Pablo Cuesta Gonzalez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2017-07-01
Series:Remote Sensing
Subjects:
SAR
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/7/729
Description
Summary:In the present paper, we describe the design, execution, and the results of an outdoor experimental campaign involving the Engineering Model of the first of the two Argentinean L-band Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs) of the Satélite Argentino de Observación con Microondas (SAOCOM) mission, SAOCOM-1A. The experiment’s main objectives were to test the end-to-end SAR operation and to assess the instrument amplitude and phase stability as well as the far-field antenna pattern, through the illumination of a moving target placed several kilometers away from the SAR. The campaign was carried out in Bariloche, Argentina, during June 2016. The experiment was successful, demonstrating an end-to-end readiness of the SAOCOM-SAR functionality in realistic conditions. The results showed an excellent SAR signal quality in terms of amplitude and phase stability.
ISSN:2072-4292