High Power Electronic Scanning Millimeter-Wave Radar System Design

Abstract

Remote Sensing Solutions, Inc has received NASA funding to design a prototype millimeter-wave radar system that will lead to future generations of large aperture space-borne electronic scanning radars. A scanning millimeter-wave radar is critical tool for improving the remote sensing of the Earth and other bodies in our solar system. Low power solid-state scanning millimeter-wave radar systems cannot provide the necessary sensitivity to detect low reflectivity cloud particles, especially at longer ranges from space. Currently, adequate sensitivity can only be achieved using tube-based transmitters, which severely constrains the system design. Important design details and design trade-offs for a unique frequency-scanned antenna and wide-bandwidth radar system design are presented. The scanning radar design is compatible with the current series of space-qualified Klystron amplifier tubes used for the CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR). New tube designs having a wider bandwith will further improve the antenna efficiency for a given swath size. The prototype radar system design utilizes a 30 cm aperture, which is designed for compatibility with existing aircraft installations. This will allow for rapid demonstration of proof-of-concept. The design can be scaled to larger apertures to provide sufficient sensitivity from low and high earth orbit, and for future missions to other bodies in our solar system such as Titan where the Cassini mission has revealed the presence of volcanic and other clouds.