Distributed SAR Chronogram and Timing Issues for RODiO Mission

This paper focuses on the timing analysis for a Distributed Synthetic Aperture Radar (DSAR) system exploiting an opportunity illuminator. This is the case of RODiO, which is a new mission concept funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) for a Phase A study in the framework of ALCOR program. RODiO's aim is to match the growing trend towards the miniaturization of satellites and new Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) applications. For this reason, RODiO consists in a cluster of four receiving-only CubeSats flying in a close formation and exploiting the independent PLATiNO-1 satellite as a transmitter. Because of the nature of RODiO mission, simultaneous observations with respect to the monostatic illuminator are needed. Through the comparison of monostatic and bistatic chronograms, a timing analysis is performed in the paper in order to assess the effects of DSAR geometry on simultaneous observation opportunities, aiding the design of the system.