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TanDEM-X

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Distributed Space Missions for Earth System Monitoring

Part of the book series: Space Technology Library ((SPTL,volume 31))

Abstract

TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement) is a highly innovative Earth observation mission that opens a new era in remote sensing. TanDEM-X comprises two formation flying satellites, each equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to map the Earth’s surface with high spatial resolution. Together, the two satellites form a unique single-pass SAR interferometer, offering the opportunity for flexible baseline selection. Primary objective of TanDEM-X is the acquisition of a global digital elevation model (DEM) with unprecedented accuracy and resolution (12 m horizontal and 2 m vertical resolution). Besides the primary mission goal, several secondary objectives based on along-track interferometry and new bistatic SAR techniques have been defined, representing a further important asset of the mission. TanDEM-X was successfully launched in June 2010 and started operational data acquisition in December 2010. This chapter outlines the TanDEM-X mission concept and its implementation, summarizes the main data processing and calibration steps, and provides an overview of the actual performance and mission status. Furthermore, results from several scientific experiments are presented, showing the great potential of future formation flying interferometric SAR missions to serve a wide spectrum of novel applications.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Since the relative vertical height accuracy depends on the terrain slope, a proper mask has to be applied, in order to discriminate flat and mountainous terrain.

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Acknowledgment

The authors represent a large team that was involved in the development of TanDEM-X. We highly acknowledge the great effort and enthusiasm of all our colleagues at DLR and EADS Astrium who made this ambitious mission a reality. The TanDEM-X project is partly funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology (Förderkennzeichen 50 EE 1035).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microwaves and Radar Institute, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Münchner Straße 20, 82234, Wessling, Germany

    G. Krieger Ph.D., M. Zink Ph.D., M. Bachmann, B. Bräutigam, I. Hajnsek Ph.D., J. Hueso Gonzalez, D. Schulze & A. Moreira Ph.D.

  2. Remote Sensing Technology Institute, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Münchner Straße 20, 82234, Wessling, Germany

    H. Breit, T. Fritz Ph.D. & B. Schättler

  3. German Space Operations Center (GSOC), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Münchner Straße 20, 82234, Wessling, Germany

    H. Fiedler Ph.D., R. Kahle Ph.D. & M. Wermuth Ph.D.

  4. Dept 1, GFZ German Research Center for Geoscience, c/o DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234, Wessling, Germany

    R. König

  5. AED 71, Astrium GmbH, 88039, Friedrichshafen, Germany

    D. Ulrich

  6. German Remote Sensing Data Center, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Münchner Straße 20, 82234, Wessling, Germany

    B. Wessel Ph.D.

Authors
  1. G. Krieger Ph.D.
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  2. M. Zink Ph.D.
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  3. M. Bachmann
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  4. B. Bräutigam
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  5. H. Breit
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  6. H. Fiedler Ph.D.
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  7. T. Fritz Ph.D.
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  8. I. Hajnsek Ph.D.
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  9. J. Hueso Gonzalez
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  10. R. Kahle Ph.D.
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  11. R. König
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  12. B. Schättler
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  13. D. Schulze
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  14. D. Ulrich
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  15. M. Wermuth Ph.D.
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  16. B. Wessel Ph.D.
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  17. A. Moreira Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. Krieger Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dipartimento di Ingegneria Aerospaziale, Seconda Universita di Napoli, Via Roma 29, Aversa, 81031, Italy

    Marco D'Errico

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Krieger, G. et al. (2013). TanDEM-X. In: D'Errico, M. (eds) Distributed Space Missions for Earth System Monitoring. Space Technology Library, vol 31. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4541-8_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4541-8_13

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