Antenna technology developments for a bi-static passive receive-only synthetic aperture radar companion satellite

Abstract

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites are complex systems that usually require long development periods and lot of investment. In 2013, a study of an innovative bi-static SAR concept based on a passive, receive-only Companion Satellite (CS) to a full SAR satellite was performed by ESA and the Industry to design a small, low-cost and fast-track implementation satellite to fly with SAOCOM-1 satellite that acts as an illuminator. SAOCOM is a constellation of two L-band SAR satellites (1A and 1B) under development in Argentina (CONAE). The CS was initially conceived to be launched together with the 1B satellite onboard a Falcon-9 rocket in 2019 and fly in formation to acquire the echoes from its SAR payload. Thus, in addition to the performance requirements, the launch conditions and the challenging implementation schedule drove the design of SAOCOM-CS, forcing the use of components with high technology readiness levels. These led to the CS payload design, including the L-band SAR antenna and the external synchronization antenna for a non-collaborative bistatic SAR mission.