Revisiting the conducting of measurements from the board of International Space Station by decimeter synthetic aperture radar system

Abstract

Nowadays the importance of using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) in the P and VHF bands for object recognition, as well as for surface and subsurface sensing of the Earth’s surface has been proven. However, the space experiment using P-band SAR has not yet been implemented. One of the most important reasons for this is destructive influence of the ionosphere on the quality of synthesized images. It is expected that the polarimetric radar survey of the Earth’s surface in the years to come will be provided by two spacecraft – ”BIOMASS” and ”ISS-SAR(P) (International space station-SAR(P)”, operating at frequencies ∼435 MHz. Variety of phenomena related to radio wave propagation through the ionosphere, as well as the temporal and spatial inhomogeneities of its properties, has been the subject of research for many decades. In the case of the use of SAR of P and VHF bands for remote sensing of the Earth (ERS), the situation is aggravated by the fact that various processes in the ionosphere begin to concentrate, that reduces the unique properties of the performance of these devices to a minimum. As a result, a number of provisions concerning the application of the SAR of P and VHF bands for remote sensing require clarification and additional studies of the ionospheric influence on electromagnetic radiation passing the ”Satellite – Earth – reflection from the Earth’s surface – Satellite” route. Such studies can be carried out directly in the course of the space experiment (SE) by creating specialized ground test sites, equipment of which works according to the program coordinated with the operation of SAR. The ISS-SAR(P) experiment in the area of a ground-based test site should primarily be considered as the development of methods for additional ionosphere research, and also as an improvement in methods for compensating the influence of the ionosphere on radar images.