High-resolution current measurements from space with TerraSAR-X along-track InSAR

The German satellite TerraSAR-X, launched in 2007, carries an advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with a variety of standard and experimental modes of operation, including along-track interferometry (ATI) capabilities for direct line-of-sight target velocity measurements. The potential of TerraSAR-X for high-resolution imaging of surface current fields has been discussed in several publications. In this paper we show first results based on actual TerraSAR-X ATI data, explain our data processing procedure, and give an update on the status of the instrument and on upcoming developments.