Multistatic ISAR for space domain awareness

About the Project

Space is crucial for a large number of services and operations, which affect our daily life. Communication, sensing, positioning is provided via satellites, which need to operate continuously from space. Their correct functioning must be guaranteed by keeping them safe from various threats, including debris and other space objects.

Obtaining an accurate and up-to-date picture of Space is non-trivial, given the distance from the Earth. For this reason, powerful sensors are needed on the ground to make sure that objects are detected, tracked and imaged to produce Space Domain Awareness (SDA) at any time.

Alongside EO systems, radars are continuously employed to provide data that is used to update space catalogues and to provide crucial information to space operational centres across the world.

Some radar systems are specifically designed to provide high-resolution images of objects in space, such as TIRA, HUSIR, IoSYS, etc. Such systems can provide monostatic 2D radar imaging of objects in space at various frequencies, which range from X-band to W-band. Nevertheless, their impact into SDA is limited by the small amount of exisiting radar imaging systems and their ability to operate only as monostatic systems.

Various efforts and experiments in the recent years have shown that bistatic and multi-static configurations can be obtained by using such radars as transmitters and other sensors as receivers, such as radio telescopes.

While detection and tracking aspects have been explored, multi-static radar imaging of space objects has not been investigated enough, especially when looking at very high frequencies, such as W-band.

The purpose of this project is to study and develop suitable algorithms for forming radar images by using multi-static radar systems at very high frequency. Synchronisation issues as well as lack of synchronisation conditions will be considered as some of such systems would not be designed with the purpose of being operated as multi-static radars (e.g. radio telescopes, satcom receivers, etc) and would not be supported by a fully coherent condition. Simulations would be initially used to test and validate the algorithms that will be developed. Laboratory tests will also be run making use of the mmW anechoic chamber at UoB. Real data may become available in the future and considered for this project.

The prospective candidate will join the acclaimed Microwave Integrated Systems Laboratory, one of the largest radar research groups in Europe, and will work alongside a community of PhD researchers, research staff and academics in a vibrant and creative atmosphere. All our PhD students have ample possibilities to attend international conferences and workshops to Improve their knowledge and skills and to present their work.

Eligibility:

Only EU/UK students are eligible for this kind of scholarship. Successful candidates will have an excellent background in Engineering, Physics or a related subject area (first class degree or equivalent). We invite applications from highly motivated individuals, able to master complex subjects and eager to undertake research in a system- level approach with both theoretical and experimental thrusts of activities, publish research papers and advance research as part of a team of researchers working in the area.

For further queries, please feel free to email Prof. Marco Martorella (m.martorella@bham.ac.uk).

Applications are made through the university online portal:

https://sits.bham.ac.uk/lpages/EPS019.htm

Eligibility: Only EU/UK students are eligible for this kind of scholarship.