TerraSAR-X Products and Product Performance Update

TerraSAR-X is a German satellite to be launched towards end of the year 2006. The SAR instrument built by EADS/Astrium has a multipolarized active phased array antenna and is programmable in wide ranges. This allows to operate imaging modes such as e.g. stripmap, spotlight, ScanSAR and dual-polarization modes. By further dividing the antenna in halves with different position or different polarization, experimental modes for Ground Moving Target Detection (GMT) or Quad-Polarization are possible. As a consequence of the various sensor capabilities the tree of SAR products offered by the DLR Ground Segment contains many different variants of polarization, resolution and scene size. Even more product variants are caused by different processing parameters selectable by the user. Some product performance parameters, such as the radiometric accuracy as a function of geometric resolution or the image resolution as a function of incidence angle depend on both, sensor settings (PRF, pulse duration) and on processing parameters (bandwidth, weighting, multi-looking). The processing parameters for the products have been designed by DLR in a way so that valuable products with maximum information content are offered to the user. In order to generate the specified products, the TerraSAR Multi Mode SAR Processor TMSP has been designed by DLR. This processor will be operated at the DLR payload ground segment in Neustrelitz for commercial and scientific customers. The processor will also be operated at additional Direct Access Partner stations of Infoterra GmbH, who will serve private and public customers. More information on the project is available in [1] and online at [3]. The product design logic has been described in [2]. The complete Basic Product Specification Document is available online at DLR's project website [4]. The final instrument operation settings and SAR processing parameters are currently determined and will be refined during the commissioning phase immediately after launch. Minor updates on the current documentation are to be performed as a consequence of this process and will be published online immediately.