Non-redundant Golay formations for high-resolution L-band aperture synthesis
Non-redundant Golay formations for high-resolution L-band aperture synthesis
This study explores various satellite formations for passive microwave interferometry, aimed at sensing soil moisture and ocean salinity in the L-band. Golay-based satellite formations offer the largest uv coverage for a given number of satellites by minimising redundancy in inter-satellite baselines, which makes them especially well-suited for this purpose. We demonstrate that distributing the same total number of antennas as in the TriHex mission concept (Golay3) across nine smaller satellites (Golay9) yields an improved angular resolution of (Formula presented.) and a reduced maximum sidelobe level of −14.39 dB. Applying the Golay9 formation to the HexSat nano-satellite platform could yield L-band ground resolutions of less than 6 km from an altitude of 250 km.
Golay formations, HexSats, non-redundant 2D interferometer arrays, synthetic aperture radiometry
Gelžinis, Matas
220d1bc8-7eae-43f4-b9b0-4d75c85c6883
Wittig, Alexander
3a140128-b118-4b8c-9856-a0d4f390b201
18 December 2025
Gelžinis, Matas
220d1bc8-7eae-43f4-b9b0-4d75c85c6883
Wittig, Alexander
3a140128-b118-4b8c-9856-a0d4f390b201
Gelžinis, Matas and Wittig, Alexander
(2025)
Non-redundant Golay formations for high-resolution L-band aperture synthesis.
International Journal of Remote Sensing.
(doi:10.1080/01431161.2025.2603694).
Abstract
This study explores various satellite formations for passive microwave interferometry, aimed at sensing soil moisture and ocean salinity in the L-band. Golay-based satellite formations offer the largest uv coverage for a given number of satellites by minimising redundancy in inter-satellite baselines, which makes them especially well-suited for this purpose. We demonstrate that distributing the same total number of antennas as in the TriHex mission concept (Golay3) across nine smaller satellites (Golay9) yields an improved angular resolution of (Formula presented.) and a reduced maximum sidelobe level of −14.39 dB. Applying the Golay9 formation to the HexSat nano-satellite platform could yield L-band ground resolutions of less than 6 km from an altitude of 250 km.
Text
Non-redundant Golay formations for high-resolution L-band aperture synthesis
- Proof
More information
Submitted date: 4 September 2025
Accepted/In Press date: 1 December 2025
Published date: 18 December 2025
Keywords:
Golay formations, HexSats, non-redundant 2D interferometer arrays, synthetic aperture radiometry
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 508405
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/508405
ISSN: 0143-1161
PURE UUID: 9b4c28d7-b805-4fdc-a477-770045b1e662
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 20 Jan 2026 17:59
Last modified: 21 Jan 2026 03:05
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Matas Gelžinis
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics