A software-based system which produces SEASAT SAR imagery

A digital processing algorithm and its associated system design for producing images from SEASAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data is described. The proposed system uses the fast Fourier transform approach to perform the two dimensional correlation process. The range migration problem can be alleviated by approximating the locus of echoes from a point target by several linear segments. Data corresponding to each segment are correlated separately and the results are coherently summed to produce full resolution images. This processing approach exhibits high computation efficiency and simple processing control functions. It is particularly attractive for software implementation based on general purpose computers. Results of this implementation and examples of digitally correlated SEASAT SAR imagery are discussed.