Challenges of the TanDEM-X Commissioning Phase

Abstract:
The goal of the TanDEM-X mission is to generate a highly accurate digital elevation model (DEM). The mission comprises two versatile radar satellites orbiting closely together in a controlled helix formation. This configuration allows single-pass interferometry in order to acquire a DEM of the whole earth within three years. This time constraint demands a short commissioning of the satellite constellation, which has to be accurate and cover all components involved. The paper describes this challenge of commissioning the constellation and the different phases. It explains the systems involved and the activities to be performed.