A propagation toolbox for advanced modelling of coherent propagation effects on active microwave remote sensing

Active spaceborne remote sensing techniques (for example SAR imagery/interferometry, LEO-LEO and GNSS-LEO radio occultations links or tomography with a network of GNSS ground receivers) may suffer from different coherent propagation effects such as scintillation, refraction and path delay when RF signals travels through a turbulent atmosphere (including both the troposphere and the ionosphere). In order to improve these remote sensing systems, these coherent propagation effects have been studied and simulated though the development of a specific “Propagation Toolbox” which is to be used as a benchmark for the assessment of the coherent propagation term in the error budget as well as for the evaluation of the performance of error mitigation techniques developed in the future.