Highly robust ground moving target detection and relocation method for distributed satellites

Abstract

The performance of ground moving target detection for distributed satellites will be affected significantly when there is an image registration error, clutter decorrelation and array error. In this paper, a new approach to moving target detection and relocation is proposed based on multi-channel and multi-pixel adaptive signal processing in an image domain. First, multi-channel and multi-pixel joint data are equated to a simple array model. Given that there is an image registration error, the real steering vector of the moving target can be estimated through a space projection approach. The optimal beam forming approach is used to cancel clutter, and at the same time the cross-track velocity of the moving target can be determined by searching for the peak value of the cost function. The moving target can then be relocated on the SAR image. The simulation results indicate that this method has a good robustness to image registration error, clutter decorrelation and array error. The detection performance and the estimation accuracy are significantly improved.

Keywords

distributed satellite / ground moving target detection / cost function / image registration error / optimal beam forming