ABSTRACT
Radar systems are increasingly used for space applications such as Jason-1/2, Seasat, Cloudsat, Quicksat, TanDEM-X, and Geosat with over 15 more systems deployed by a number of countries. A critical facet of implementing space-based radar systems is an understanding of extreme environment effects on the radar electronics. These systems are widely used in geoscience and remote sensing applications, planetary sensors, spacecraft landing radars, as well as other military and civilian applications that may require operation in extreme environments. A radar system operates by transmitting RF energy at a target and receiving and then analyzing the return echo to determine properties of the target. At the core of modern radar systems is an RF front end that performs transmit and receive functions with a digital backend that is used for data processing, timing, and control. The demands for higher performance, reduced size, and lower cost drive increased capability and integration for these radar components. Many of the functions that were once performed in RF or intermediate frequencies (IF) are now performed in the digital domain (such as beam forming) [1,2]. In addition, large multielement arrays operating at higher frequency require more from the RF components including lower power operation, higher efficiency, and smaller size. In order to meet these needs, new technologies are being used to develop the RF front ends. These new technologies require further understanding and investigation of these components under extreme environment conditions.
