The influence of pacing technologies on environmental application of space-based synthetic aperture radar

Synthetic aperture radar pacing technology areas are explored in terms of projected capabilities that will produce the most benefits for ocean users. The current state of the art and expected future developments in data handling and onboard signal processing are presented at a functional module level. The discussion covers optical and digital image processing, and digital downlink, the high-rate recorder, and the ground data system. The analysis indicates that the primary technology driver is in the spaceborne image signal processor. Optical, digital, or combination hybrid designs can be considered for space-based implementations.<>