SAR Imaging Challenges on UAV Trajectory Restitution Study Case with SAR-Light Prototype at X-Band

Abstract

ONERA is working on a research project to design a SAR sensor prototype suitable for operation on board an UAV. In SAR processing domain a precise knowledge of airborne vehicle’s trajectory is needed. After a first validation campaign, analyses of the trajectories show significant instabilities in the post-processing stage of our inertial data. Distribution of ground GNSS stations was not optimal and may be at the origin of this phenomenon. To quantify errors on trajectory, autofocus techniques have been applied and after this step SAR images presented a better focusing proving efficiency of the motion compensation from autofocus algorithm.