Detection of supersonic rockets using passive bistatic radar

The focus of this article is on the problem of the detection and tracking of amateur experimental rockets. After launch, information on rocket's trajectory is obviously very desirable as it allows for the verification of parameters of propulsion and guidance systems. The rocket itself can be equipped with measurement systems based on a global navigation satellite system and/or inertial navigation system. These, however, do not solve all the problems. The measurement equipment onboard the rocket is prone to damage and failures due to the extreme operating conditions (such as great acceleration). Moreover, if the data is not sent to the ground station during the flight, but stored onboard, the rocket has to be located after landing to download the data. This is not always possible, as the rocket's landing position may be difficult to estimate. For these reasons, additional sensor for measuring rocket trajectory is desirable. In this article, the analysis of using passive radar for the detection and tracking of rockets is considered. The analysis is verified with real data, where an experimental rocket was tracked using Digital Television Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T)-based passive radar.