Debris: Distributed Element Beamformer Radar for Ice and Subsurface Sounding
Mark Haynes, Robert M. Beauchamp, A. Khazendar, Rayan Mazouz, Marco B. Quadrelli, Paolo Focardi, Richard Hodges, William Bertiger, Nicole Bienert
Abstract
The innovations in high-performance, low-power electronics and low-cost space access are unlocking affordable distributed radar systems and new remote sensing opportunities. The Distributed Element Beamformer Radar for Ice and Subsurface sounding (DEBRIS) is a concept to implement a 2D sparse radar aperture to improve the radar's spatial resolution and sounding investigation depth through the reduction of surface clutter. Here, we introduce this system and highlight its applications, orbital configurations, and the implementation considerations to achieve state-of-the-art performance for spaceborne radar sounders.