How do SAR systems work?
The microwave radiation is emitted by the sensor in short pulses with a certain angle (look angle is the angle between the nadir and the direction in which signals are emitted), reaches the ground with a certain wavelength and polarization and is reflected back by the various objects. During the reflection and the passage through the atmosphere the microwaves change their phase, amplitude and polarization. The signal is then received by the antenna on the satellite platform and registered in terms of phase, polarization and amplitude. The record is finally processed to produce an image covering a certain area, whose size depends on the satellite sensor.
