Space based radar moving target detection challenges

Space based radar (SBR) systems are growing in importance to provide world-wide detection and tracking of ground and surface vehicles, for both civilian and military applications. However, there are several technical challenges that need to be addressed before these systems can be considered affordable. This paper outlines a current assessment of the development needs for reducing the technical risk of SBR to meet the future surveillance requirements. The presentation provides tradeoff analysis in the areas of active electronically scanned antennas, adaptive onboard processing, and satellite power generation and distribution.