Land and Ice Sensing From Low Earth Orbit Using GNSS Bistatic Radar

In recent years, using bistatically reflected GNSS signals to remotely sense the Earth's surface has proven a promising technique. However, the feasibility of this technique in low Earth orbit is still uncertain. By using the GNSS bistatic radar experiment on board the low Earth orbiting UK-DMC satellite it has been possible to process numerous Earth reflected signals, which has enabled the initial space based assessments of this technology as a potential global low cost remote sensing tool. To date, Earth scattered signals detected with this experiment have been examined under numerous conditions, including a wide rage of sea states, sea ice, and land surfaces. This paper will show that bistatically reflected GNSS signals are detectable in low Earth orbit over varied land and ice surfaces. Four land reflected signals will be examined in detail, including examining the signal power response with respect to the scattering terrain. Additionally, two ice reflected signals will be analysed for the presence of a coherent reflection and for variations in the signal shape and magnitude as a function of independent measurements of the total ice concentration.