Monostatic calibration of both TanDEM-X satellites

The primary object of the TanDEM-X mission is to generate a highly accurate digital elevation model (DEM) with never achieved accuracy on global scale. But in addition to this bistatic TanDEM-X mission the monostatic TerraSAR-X mission have to be operated in parallel with both satellites. Consequently the second satellite TDX, successfully launched in June 2010, has to achieve the same accuracy and performance as those of the first satellite TSX, already in-flight since 2007. Thus, the monostatic calibration of the second satellite TDX is performed according to the same strategy based on effective and exact calibration techniques successfully demonstrated by the first satellite TSX. The paper discusses the calibration results of the first satellite TSX derived two years after launch by an extended re-calibration campaign executed in summer 2009, and presents first results of the second satellite TDX. But it has to be mentioned, the main calibration activities of TDX will start three weeks after launch, i.e. after uploading of this paper.