On spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems in China

The Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology has been developed in China since 1970s, and the first airborne SAR system was established in 1979 and obtained multiple SAR images. Although the spaceborne SAR technology started later in China, advanced concepts and key techniques of spaceborne SAR systems were proposed and investigated in recent twenty years. In 2006, the first satellite SAR in China was launched and obtained mount of detailed SAR images of the Earth´s surface. The advanced SAR satellite named HJ-1-C for geosciences and climate change research, environmental and Earth system monitoring was launched on November 19, 2012. Furthermore, several new spaceborne SAR concepts and techniques to support the next China spaceborne SAR systems were studied, and their corresponding airborne experiments are carried out.