FIELD: physics, navigation.
SUBSTANCE: invention can be used to obtain radar images of the earth's surface using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) stations mounted on spacecraft. The method employs a non-periodic phase-code modulated radio pulse as a probing pulse in SAR, and the vertical dimension of the antenna aperture of the radar station is selected according to the required scanning band. The SAR is in form of coherent side-looking radar, the antenna area of which is defined by the product of the selected vertical dimension of the antenna the horizontal dimension, which is defined by design capabilities of the spacecraft. To expand the scanning band of the antenna, the SAR can be in form of a waveguide-slit grating which realises in the vertical plane a beam pattern with a special shape which compensates for the effect of the change in range and specific radar cross-section in the frame of a radar image on radar reflection signal power.
EFFECT: smaller radar antenna area and larger scanning bandwidth for radar images without complication of the antenna design, which simultaneously reduces power consumption, weight and size characteristics of on-board equipment of aircraft and high reliability thereof.
7 cl, 6 dwg
