Geostationary Orbital Targets Imaging Based on Ground-Based Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Radar

Compared with the Earth’s surface, geostationary orbital (GEO) targets are relatively static, which makes it difficult to obtain two-dimensional radar images when the radar is ground-based without movement. This paper proposes an imaging method for GEO targets based on ground-based Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radar. It combines multiple ground-based radars distributed across the Earth’s surface to image GEO targets. When the virtual aperture of the MIMO radar is planar, three-dimensional imaging results can be obtained. First, the ground-based MIMO radar imaging scenario for GEO targets is introduced, and an analysis of the azimuth resolution is performed. Subsequently, a Three-Dimensional Target-Oriented (TDTO) coordinate system is established. The back-projection (BP) algorithm is then employed to reconstruct the target image. Finally, simulations are conducted and analyzed, including cases of a single-point target, multiple scatterers of a satellite model, and full-wave radar echo simulation using CST. The results show that when the center frequency is 35 GHz, and the baseline length is 1500 km, azimuth resolution of the imaging is better than 0.1 m.