Design and Performance of X-Band SAR Payload for 80 kg Class Flat-Panel-Type Microsatellite Based on Active Phased Array Antenna

Abstract

The small synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology experimental project (S-STEP) mission aims to develop an innovative spaceborne SAR microsatellite as a constellation of 32 microsatellites featuring a high-resolution stripmap mode of 1 m. The S-STEP is a spaceborne SAR microsatellite technology demonstration program in which innovative approaches have been proposed and investigated for SAR payload system designs for improving the development speed, affordability, size and weight parameters, and quality of SAR satellite systems. In this study, the major design approach includes a bus–payload integrated flat-panel-type SAR payload based on an active phased-array antenna. This study conducted an SAR image performance analysis considering the mission requirements to validate the feasibility of the innovative SAR payload design of the S-STEP. These performance analysis results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed SAR payload design approach under the new space paradigm.