End-to-end modeling and simulation of GMTI target detection from space

The design of space based radars for detection of ground moving targets must consider several factors to be operationally effective. The high speed of the satellite coupled with unknown motion patterns of the ground moving vehicles requires efficient detection and geolocation algorithms, as well as dynamic tasking of the satellite. An end-to-end simulation of the process has been constructed and a realistic scenario has been analyzed in terms of the detection statistics and effects of satellite and spacecraft motion and deformation errors. Three analytic META models have been constructed to evaluate antenna and signal processing architectures, while maintaining an effective simulation throughput. The effects of these META models on signal to noise ratio, probability of detection and minimum detectable velocity are examined. Examination of key measures of performance provides insight into sensor design and tasking requirements.