Sparse, random array processing for space-based radar

Abstract

We investigate moving target detection with a space-based cluster of radar satellites, modeled as a random sparse array. Results show that improvement in signal to interference is a sensitive function of the pulse repetition frequency and varies over a large dynamic range. Achievable improvement factor maxima are moderately degraded by array pitch (satellite cluster rotation) and strongly degraded with increasing position errors. In general, with increased randomness, fewer elements contribute to form DPCA pairs so that satellite usage efficiency and SNR are degraded.