INTA SAR calibration field: needs for its integration into IGS network

• Casal Vázquez, Nuria ^[1] ; Cifuentes Revenga, Patricia ^[1] ; Gimeno Martínez, Nuria ^[1] ; Cuerda Muñoz, Juan Manuel ^[1]
  1. [1] Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial

     Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial

     Madrid, España

     
• Localización: 10.ª Asamblea Hispano-Portuguesa de Geodesia y Geofísica: artículos, 2023, ISBN 978-84-416-7540-7, págs. 105-112
• Idioma: inglés
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  • Texto Completo Libro
• Resumen

  • The INTA calibration field covers external calibration and monitoring needs for PAZ, the X-band satellite of the Spanish National Program for Earth Observation. Since its launch in February 2018, more than 30 corner reflectors have been deployed on the Iberian Peninsula at two main sites: Madrid and Albacete. All these corner reflectors have been accurately surveyed with RTK for use in geometric calibration campaigns and for the estimation of the Absolute Location Error (ALE) of PAZ images. The high geolocation accuracy of PAZ products (under 50 centimetres) can only be achieved by using accurate orbit data and by modelling and correcting for geophysical phenomena that appreciably perturb the positions of the observed targets: atmospheric path delay, GPS reference frame displacement caused by tectonic plates and Solid Earth Tide, at the reflector position. However, recent studies with satellites of similar performance to PAZ show that at range, under extremely good conditions, a localisation accuracy of the order of 1 centimetre or even a few millimetres seem to be achievable. The integration of INTA SAR corner reflectors into the IGS network will allow us to demonstrate how far we can go in the geolocation of PAZ images.

    In the framework of the new INTA IGN agreement, several stations of the permanent IGN GNSS network are being analysed for the location of new SAR corner reflectors, even a first corner reflector has already been deployed at YEBES Astronomical Centre, Guadalajara. The placement of reflectors at points in the IGS network will improve its coordinates accuracy and also the corrections for fine geophysical disturbances at the reflector position.