A beamforming algorithm for bistatic SAR image formation

Beamforming is a methodology for collection-mode-independent SAR image formation. It is essentially equivalent to backprojection. The authors have in previous papers developed this idea and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the approach to monostatic SAR image formation vis-a-vis the more standard and time-tested polar formatting algorithm (PFA). In this paper we show that beamforming for bistatic SAR imaging leads again to a very simple image formation algorithm that requires a minimal number of lines of code and that allows the image to be directly formed onto a three-dimensional surface model, thus automatically creating an orthorectified image. The same disadvantage of beamforming applied to monostatic SAR imaging applies to the bistatic case, however, in that the execution time for the beamforming algorithm is quite long compared to that of PFA. Fast versions of beamforming do exist to help alleviate this issue. Results of image reconstructions from phase history data are presented.