First Results of Passive Radar Imaging and Tracking Using Geostationary Satellites

Abstract

The use of geostationary satellites for applications in the field of radar imaging has been discussed by different research institutes recently. This paper shows the realization of a low cost passive radar system used in a stationary configuration utilizing the telecommunication satellites Astra 1N and Intelsat 12 as radar source for the first experiments. To demonstrate the potential of this technique two scenarios have been considered. The first experiment is used for evaluating the sensitivity of the system for tracking of small vehicles. The second experiment exploiting the transmitter’s movement for imaging, evaluating the potential of the used configuration for SAR applications.