Calibration experiments of advanced X-band airborne SAR system, Pi-SAR2

Abstract

In the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan (NICT), we have developed an advanced X-band airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, Pi-SAR2, since 2006, to succeed the X-band polarimetric and interferometric airborne SAR, Pi-SAR. The Pi-SAR2 has a higher spatial resolution of 0.3-0.6 m in the azimuth direction and 0.3-0.5 m in the range direction, as well as polarimetric and interferometric observation functions. The calibration experiments of the Pi-SAR2 were carried out as a part its test flights in December 2008 and February 2010. Calibration targets were deployed on a runway of the Taiki Aerospace Experiment Field in Hokkaido, Japan, to be observed.