An integrated radar imaging system for the STAR-2 aircraft

Author

Akam, Bill ; Deane, Robert ; Sartori, Mauro ; Lowry, Ray ; Mercer, Bryan

Author_Institution

MacDonald Dettwiler, Richmond, BC, Canada

fYear

1988

fDate

20-21 Apr 1988

Firstpage

28

Lastpage

32

Abstract

A commercial lightweight, real-time digital synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) known as STAR-2 (sea-lice and terrain assessment radar) is described. The SAR system consists of the MacDonald Dettwiler integrated radar imaging system (IRIS) and is carried aboard a small executive twin-turboprop aircraft. The IRIS makes extensive use of digital electronics to provide data of high radiometric and geometric quality, in real time. The radar is an X-band HH polarized system that has an along-track (azimuth) pixel size of 6 m, and a choice of 4-m or 5-m slant range pixel size, yielding a swath width of 16 or 62 km. The data is processed to seven independent looks, to ensure high radiometric quality in the image. The system has a large dynamic range and this ensures that the radar can be used not only for terrain mapping, but also for detection of point targets. Along-track and across-track position errors have been reduced to the order of 30 m

Keywords

aircraft instrumentation; geophysical equipment; microwave measurement; military systems; radar systems; radiometry; remote sensing; sea ice; topography (Earth); 30 m; SAR; SHF; STAR-2 aircraft; X-band HH polarized system; digital electronics; dynamic range; executive twin-turboprop aircraft; integrated radar imaging system; point targets; position errors; radiometric quality; real-time digital synthetic-aperture radar; remote sensing; sea-lice and terrain assessment radar; terrain mapping; topography; Aerospace electronics; Aircraft; Azimuth; Dynamic range; Iris; Polarization; Radar imaging; Radiometry; Synthetic aperture radar; Terrain mapping;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Radar Conference, 1988., Proceedings of the 1988 IEEE National

Conference_Location

Ann Arbor, MI

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/NRC.1988.10925

Filename

10925