Abstract:
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites are complex systems that usually require long development periods and lot of investment. In 2013, a study of an innovative bi-st...Show MoreMetadata
Abstract:
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites are complex systems that usually require long development periods and lot of investment. In 2013, a study of an innovative bi-static SAR concept based on a passive, receive-only Companion Satellite (CS) to a full SAR satellite was performed by ESA and the Industry to design a small, low-cost and fast-track implementation satellite to fly with SAOCOM-1 satellite that acts as an illuminator. SAOCOM is a constellation of two L-band SAR satellites (1A and 1B) under development in Argentina (CONAE). The CS was initially conceived to be launched together with the 1B satellite onboard a Falcon-9 rocket in 2019 and fly in formation to acquire the echoes from its SAR payload. Thus, in addition to the performance requirements, the launch conditions and the challenging implementation schedule drove the design of SAOCOM-CS, forcing the use of components with high technology readiness levels. These led to the CS payload design, including the L-band SAR antenna and the external synchronization antenna for a non-collaborative bistatic SAR mission.
Date of Conference: 23-28 July 2017
Date Added to IEEE Xplore: 04 December 2017
ISBN Information:
Electronic ISSN: 2153-7003