Multidimensional Radar Waveforms A New Paradigm for the Design and Operation of Highly Performant Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar Systems

Abstract — This paper introduces and analyses the innovative paradigm of multidimensional waveform encoding for space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The combination of this technique with digital beamforming on receive enables a new class of highly performant SAR systems employing novel and highly flexible radar imaging modes. Examples are adaptive high-resolution wide-swath SAR imaging with compact antennas, enhanced parameter estimation sensitiv-ity for applications like along-track interferometry and mov-ing object indication, and the implementation of hybrid SAR imaging modes that are well suited to satisfy the hitherto incompatible user requirements for frequent monitoring and detailed mapping. Implementation specific issues will be discussed and examples demonstrate the potential of the new technique for different remote sensing applications. I