Highly Accurate Calibration Target for Multiple Mode SAR Systems

The product quality with respect to radiometric accuracy of current and future space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems depends on the grade of the utilized external calibration targets. This paper presents the first steps taken in designing and building a highly accurate active target (transponder), which exhibits high radar cross section stability (in the order of a tenth of a decibel) over its lifetime even for future multiple mode SAR systems. Furthermore, the transponder allows the recording of the azimuth pattern and fully sampled pulses.