Time-varying three-dimensional interferometric imaging for space rotating targets with stepped-frequency chirp signal

• Published in: IET radar, sonar & navigation Vol. 11; no. 9; pp. 1397 - 1405
• Main Authors: Sun, Yuxue, Luo, Ying, Zhang, Qun, Hu, Jian, Huo, Wenjun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 01.09.2017
• Subjects: 3D radar imaging; chirp modulation; high‐resolution range profile; HRRP; instantaneous spatial positions; interferometric planes; interferometric processing; interferometric signal model; interferometry; L‐shaped three‐antenna configuration; multiantenna set radar; radar antennas; radar imaging; radar resolution; radar target recognition; Research Article; space rotating targets; space target recognition; stepped‐frequency chirp signal; three‐antenna configuration; time‐varying three‐dimensional interferometric 3D imaging method; time-varying three-dimensional interferometric 3D imaging method; space target recognition; interferometry; radar antennas; space rotating targets; HRRP; high-resolution range profile; interferometric processing; instantaneous spatial positions; radar resolution; stepped-frequency chirp signal; radar target recognition; 3D radar imaging; radar imaging; chirp modulation; L-shaped three-antenna configuration; interferometric planes; multiantenna set radar; three-antenna configuration; interferometric signal model
• ISSN: 1751-8784; 1751-8792
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-rsn.2017.0009

Three-dimensional (3D) radar imaging can provide abundant information about space targets, thus playing a significant role in space target recognition, measurement and cataloguing. In this study, a time-varying interferometric 3D imaging method for space rotating targets is proposed based on stepped-frequency chirp signal. In this study, with L-shaped three-antenna configuration, the interferometric signal model is first set up and high-resolution range profile (HRRP) series of the three antennas are obtained. Then through interferometric processing of HRRP series on different interferometric planes, the instantaneous spatial positions in the azimuth and pitching directions of each target scatterer are reconstructed. Combining with the instantaneous positions in range direction extracted from HRRP series, the time-varying 3D image of target can be reconstructed accordingly. Compared to existing 3D imaging method for space rotating targets, the proposed method can obtain real time-varying 3D image of target with one multi-antenna set radar. Simulation results verify the validity and robustness of the proposed method.