Mapping the world's topography using radar interferometry: the TOPSAT mission

H.A. Zebker, T.G. Farr, R.P. Salazar, T.H. Dixon
1994 Proceedings of the IEEE  
Global-scde topographic data are offundamental importance to many Earth science studies, and obtaining these data is U priority j;ifi,r. the Earth science communiry. Several groups have considered the requirements for such U data set, and a cmsensus assessment is thui many critical studies would be enabled by the availability of a digital global topogi.aphic model with accuracies of 2 and 30 m in the \ier.tic.al and horizontal directions, respectively. Radar interfuwnetric, techniques have been
more » ... used to produce digital eleration models at these accuracies and are technologically feasible us the centerpiec.e of a spaceborne satellite mission designed to map the Mvrld's land masses, which we denote TOPSAT. A radar interfernnieter is ,formed by combining the radar echoes veceiivd ut U pair of' antennus displwed across-track, and specialized datu processing i.esults in the elevation datu. TM measurements possess suflcient accirrucy. Studies indicate that similar perjbrniance c m be realized with either system.
doi:10.1109/5.338070 fatcat:sfnaasp3dzhmngeojr5ddynyam