Antenna technologies for microwave sensors: A review

Summary form only given. There has been a rapid technological growth in the field of antennas for space-borne, air-borne and ground based microwave sensors of passive as well as active types. The performance of the sensors largely depend on the radiation characteristics of the multifunctional antenna system. The development of these antenna systems pose a very challenging task in achieving the stringent performance in terms of various antenna parameters like beam efficiency, beam shape, gain, sidelobe level and cross-polarisation etc. Innovative design techniques are prerequisite for achieving the required gain, sidelobe level, polarization isolation and bandwidth specifications in the smallest aperture size consistent with mass limitations and ease of manufacturing. Various antenna technologies for passive as well as active microwave sensors like Radiometer, Millimeter wave Sounder, Scatterometer, Precipitation Radar, Altimeter, Synthetic Aperture Radar etc have been reviewed in this paper. This paper will elaborate the salient features of the advanced antenna systems developed for various microwave remote sensing missions of ISRO. This paper will also address requirement of future mission of ISRO.