Numerical simulation for large baseline interferometric imaging altimeter

Sea topography information holds significant importance in oceanic research and the climate change detection. Radar imaging altimetry has emerged as the leading approach for global ocean observation, employing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry to enhance the spatial resolution of Sea topography. Nevertheless, current payload capacity and satellite hardware limitations prevent the extension of the interferometric baseline by enlarging the physical antenna size. This constraint hinders achieving centimeter-level accuracy in interferometric altimetry. To address this challenge, we conducted a numerical simulation to assess the viability of a large baseline interferometric imaging altimeter (LB-IIA). By controlling the baseline within the range of 600–1000 m through spiral orbit design in two satellites and mitigating baseline de-correlation with the carrier frequency shift (CFS) technique, we aimed to overcome the above limitations. Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of the CFS technique in compensating for baseline decoherence, elevating coherence from less than 0.1 to over 0.85. Concurrently. The height difference accuracy between neighboring sea surfaces reaches 1 cm within a 1 km resolution. This study is anticipated to serve as a foundational reference for future interferometric imaging altimeter development, catering to the demand for high-precision sea topography data in accurate global bathymetry inversion.