Microwave Resolution Enhancement Using Distributed Small Spacecraft Architectures

Abstract

In this work, the well-established Backus–Gilbert resolution enhancement algorithm for passive microwave sensors is applied to a novel distributed spacecraft geometry. While this geometry allows for significantly higher sampling densities and redundancy, the small spacecraft platform comes with more pronounced errors in the knowledge of navigation, attitude, antenna pattern function, instrument noise, and instrument bias. Imperfect knowledge of these errors is simulated to determine the feasibility of using a distributed small satellite constellation for resolution enhancement rather than a dedicated single spacecraft scanning system. The results show that resolution enhancement is possible using a distributed geometry even in the presence of worst case errors typical of current small spacecraft components. Also, depending on the distribution of errors between spacecraft, degradation of performance can be mitigated. Furthermore, increased sampling densities achieved in this configuration can provide insight into subfootprint scale features. If temporally dynamic brightness temperatures are used, large spacecraft separation distances and high rates of brightness temperature variation are both shown to degrade reconstruction performance.