Abstract
The performance tradeoffs of a smallsat synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system for maritime surveillance in the coastal waters of New Zealand are investigated. The lower costs of smallsat platforms allow for a constellation of SAR satellites that can be launched from New Zealand using an existing local launch service provider. The minimum SAR image quality necessary for a smallsat system to achieve a desired detection performance is determined using existing X-band satellite data. The image quality is specified in terms of noise-equivalent sigma zero (NESZ) and resolution. It was found that for a resolution cell of 4 m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> a system NESZ of -1.7 dB is sufficient to detect small fishing vessels with a probability of detection of 0.5, while maintaining the probability of false alarm below 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-10</sup> . These requirements are translated into a preliminary SAR system design.
Highlights
N EW Zealand is an emerging space-faring nation and is currently developing satellite technology and missions that provide tangible benefits to the country
Using the radar equation and system parameters that could be realised by a small-satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system with low transmit power, it was found that the noise-equivalent sigma zero (NESZ) will be on the order of −3dB
This article focuses on the design of a small-satellite SAR system for dedicated maritime surveillance in the New Zealand exclusive economic zone (EEZ)
Summary
N EW Zealand is an emerging space-faring nation and is currently developing satellite technology and missions that provide tangible benefits to the country. Detection is currently achieved via patrol ships and sporadic flights by the New Zealand Defense Forces [8], this method only permits the identification of a small number of illegal ships, and the cost to identify a single ship is significant. KRECKE et al.: DETECTING SHIPS IN THE NEW ZEALAND EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE and the need for near real-time maritime surveillance, a group (or constellation) of small SAR satellites is required. This work identifies the minimum image requirements for an SAR system in order to detect typical fishing vessels with specified values for the PFA and probability of detection.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
