TanDEM-X Mission: Overview, Challenges and Status

TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement) opens a new era in spaceborne radar remote sensing. A single-pass SAR interferometer with adjustable baselines in across- and in along-track directions was formed by adding a second (TDX), almost identical spacecraft to TerraSAR-X (TSX) and flying the two satellites in a closely controlled formation. With typical across-track baselines of 150 to 500 m a global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with 2 m relative height accuracy at a 12-m posting is being generated