Lead Organisation: Airbus DS
This project continues work from a previous phase project on on-board processing for SAR.
Astrium Limited and BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre are developing a novel approach to real-time generation of Level 1 SAR products. The computationally intensive compression functions are formulated in algorithms designed for implementation in SRAM/Flash FPGA or ASIC hardware, suitable for satellite on-board processing. The approach is being tested through simulations using ERS-2 datasets as part of a 4th Call CEOI Seedcorn Study.
The aim of the present Seedcorn Study is to extend this technique to include azimuth focussing of squinted SAR systems such as the Wavemill oceanographic SAR concept. Wavemill uses forward and aft antennas nominally squinted at ±45 degrees in azimuth to allow ocean currents to be sampled from orthogonal directions, allowing 2D surface currents to be mapped.