Accurate Antenna Pattern Modeling for Phased Array Antennas in SAR Applications - Demonstration on TerraSAR-X

The high flexibility and tight accuracy requirements of today's space borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems require innovative technologies to calibrate and process the SAR images. To perform accurate pattern correction during SAR processing, an Antenna Model is used to derive the multitude of different antenna beams generated by active antenna steering. The application of such an Antenna Model could be successfully demonstrated for the TerraSAR-X mission, launched in 2007. The methodology and the results of the in orbit verification with an achieved accuracy of better than ±0.2 dB is reviewed in this paper in detail showing its outstanding accuracy.