An Improved Frequency Domain Focusing Method in Geosynchronous SAR

Abstract

Geosynchronous (GEO) SAR has been proposed as a means for obtaining observations of the Earth with finer temporal sampling than possible with a single satellite from a lower orbit. However, standard algorithms developed for low-Earth-orbit SAR imaging are inadequate for GEO, where the typical assumptions of quasi-linear trajectory and “stop-and-go” transmit/receive propagation break down because of the long integration time and the very long range between the satellite and the Earth. This paper proposes a curved trajectory model to overcome these limitations and considers the impact of the “stop-and-go” assumption. According to the proposed range model, an accurate 2-D analytical spectrum is deduced under the curved trajectory model based on a series reversion method, leading to an improved frequency domain imaging algorithm involving a high-order-phase coupling function and a range migration correction function. An adaptive azimuth compression function overcomes the space variance for large-scene focusing. Simulation results validate that the improved imaging algorithm performs well over the expected range of applicability for GEO SAR.