Performance of Correlation-Based Imaging with a Bistatic Configuration Toward Resilient Multistatic Imaging of Space Debris

Radar imaging using the cross-correlation of receiver signals possesses several benefits over traditional matched-filter techniques that make it more suitable for imaging fast-moving objects without well-defined flight tracks, such as fast-moving space debris. Correlation-based imaging is implemented with a network of receivers, and requires no knowledge of the imaging pulse or the emitter and receiver locations and is able to compensate for unknown linear and rotational motion with a resolution on the order of the imaging wavelength, comparable to the performance of matched-filter imaging. Here, we compare the performance of a simplified bistatic configuration for correlation-based imaging and the traditional matched-filter method in a representative case study experiment, where a small aircraft is used as a target. We find that the bistatic case is effective even when there are motions that exceed the transmitter wavelength and is more resilient to unaccounted random motion than the monostatic case. However, as expected for a two-receiver configuration, the resolution is lower than the matched-filtering method even in the ideal case. Finally, we comment on extensions as well as implications for multistatic configurations.