Overview of interferometric data acquisition and processing modes of the experimental airborne SAR system of DLR

This paper presents first the relevant parameters of the experimental E-SAR system for single- and repeat-pass SAR interferometry. The implementation of the different interferometric operation modes is described and special attention is paid to the problems posed by the unstable airborne platform. Each interferometric mode is described including the solution of its critical problems. The given examples prove the enormous information content one can obtain from the different imaging modes of airborne SAR interferometry. Finally, future developments concerning polarimetric SAR interferometry and tomography will be addressed.