Sensitivity equations and calibration requirements on airborne interferometry

The usage of an airborne interferometric SAR to mass map production is strongly dependent on the capability of performing the data processing in a near automatic mode. One of the main limitations is related to both the accurate calibration of the system parameters, its stability from flight to flight and the correct in-flight recording of aircraft position and attitude. The unstable movements of an airborne SAR platform, if recorded in an accurate manner, can be corrected during the processing step. Measurement errors and time drifts lead to location errors in the final DEM. The system requirements in both accuracy and stability to fulfil a quality-mapping requirement can be resolved from the sensitivity equations. The same equations can be also used to calibrate the system parameters from the location errors on the imaging of well-known targets, usually corner reflectors.