An analysis of a satellite multibeam altimeter

Abstract

Since the GEOS‐3 and SEAS AT‐1 radar altimeters measured altitude over a narrow swath along the satellite subtrack, ocean current and mesoscale feature maps could only be generated after a large number of satellite revolutions. The present paper analyzes a new multibeam altimeter technique that has the potential to cover wide swaths. The multibeam altimeter uses two antenna elements, simple parabolic dishes with offset feeds, deployed cross‐track on singly hinged booms into a fixed measurement geometry to generate an interferometer pattern over the desired swath extent. Range gating allows the isolation of a single interferometric lobe, and the desired altitude measurements are extracted by using a modified altitude tracker design. Implementing this sensor on future altimetry missions would allow the timely generation of ocean current and mesoscale feature maps for the first time.