Patent ID: 6264143
Filing Date: 2001-07-24
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
Radar interferometry apparatus comprising at least one emitter satellite (E) and at least one constellation of receiver satellites (S), the apparatus being characterized in that the satellites are placed on orbits selected in such a manner that the receiver satellites aim at the zone of the ground that is illuminated by the emitter satellite, and such that:the major axes thereof have the same length so that the satellites are accurately synchronous;the focuses are separated by a distance which is the same for each of the orbits of the receiver satellites and which is greater than the distance between the focuses of the orbit of the emitter satellite, such that the eccentricity of a receiver satellite orbit is different from that of the emitter satellite orbit; andthe arguments of their perigees have values that are uniformly distributed over 360.degree. such that during one orbital period the receiver satellites travel round an ellipse (G) over which they are uniformly distributed, said ellipse being centered on the position that the emitter satellite would have had if its orbit had the same ascending node longitude and the same phasing as the orbits of the receiver satellites.