Smallsat Surveillance Constellations Using MIMO Radar

A concept is presented for the formation of constellations of small satellites (smallsats) for radar surveillance employing multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) radar configurations. Such constellations can be used for cost-effective fine-resolution and persistent remote sensing of targets or regions on or above the earth's surface. Applications include, but are not limited to, surface mapping (including change detection), mapping of meteorological conditions, detection of fleeting events, and moving target detection. As expected, there are a number of challenging implementation issues, mostly in the area of digital processing and waveform design.