Microwave Instruments

 

GAMMA Remote Sensing AG builds and develops microwave remote sensing instruments. Most instruments are available as commercial products (GPRI, GLSAR, GSSAR, ELBARA). Instruments are also developed under contracts, e.g. of the European Space Agency (SnowScat, WBScat).

 

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GAMMA Portable Radar Interferometer (GPRI)

 

The GPRI uses rotating real-aperture antennas to cover a full 360° field of view. The GPRI operates at Ku-band (17.2 GHz with 200 MHz bandwidth). Designed for mobility, the GPRI can be mounted quickly on a tripod or survey pillar. The real-aperture antennas limit signal decorrelation so that interferometric measurements are possible up to a radius of several kilometers, even on water surfaces.

 

First instruments were built in 2010, with a quad-polarimetric version in 2015. A bistatic version is available since 2016.

 

For details see instrument specification, download the GPRI info brochure (pdf) and browse the list of selected publications. A more extensive list of application-related publications is also available.

GPRI

instrument specifications
GPRI observing the Matterhorn east face.
GAMMA L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (GLSAR)

 

The GLSAR is a light and compact L-band SAR system (1.2 - 1.4 GHz). Four parallel receiver channels and two transmit ports, featuring 200 MHz bandwidth, acquire SAR data for radar polarimetry and interferometry (PolSAR, PolInSAR, D-InSAR). The integrated GNSS/inertial navigation system (INS) permits SAR imaging even with nonlinear tracks from agile sensor platforms (UAVs, automobiles, airplanes).

 

First instruments were commercialized in 2019. Since 2024 a light weight version (6.3 kg) compatible for UAV operation is available.

 

SAR imaging and processing (polarimetry, repeat-pass interferometry) is supported by the Time Domain Back Projection (TDBP) processor and the modules ISP/DIFF&GEO of the GAMMA Software

 

For details see instrument specification, download the  GLSAR Info brochure (GSL, 2022) and browse the list of publications. UAV/car-borne SAR displacement measurements have been presented at the SGM2020.

 

 

GLSAR

instrument specifications
Gamma L-band SAR mounted ontop of a car.
GAMMA S-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (GSSAR)

 

The GSSAR is a light and compact S-band SAR system (3.0 - 3.4 GHz). Four parallel receiver channels and two transmit ports, featuring 400 MHz bandwidth, acquire SAR data for radar polarimetry and interferometry (PolSAR, PolInSAR, D-InSAR). The integrated GNSS/inertial navigation system (INS) permits SAR imaging even with nonlinear tracks from agile sensor platforms (UAVs, automobiles, airplanes).

 

First instruments were commercialized in 2025 as light weight versions (6.4 kg) compatible for UAV operation.

 

SAR imaging and processing (polarimetry, repeat-pass interferometry) is supported by the Time Domain Back Projection (TDBP) processor and the modules ISP/DIFF&GEO of the GAMMA Software.

GSSAR

instrument specifications
Gamma S-band SAR mounted below a UAV.
 
ELBARA-II

 

The ELBARA-II is a 1.4 GHz radiometer, built to support ground-based signature studies and cross-comparison campaigns related to the ESA SMOS and NASA SMAP satellite radiometers. A first series of instruments was built under ESA contract. Further instruments were then specifically built for interested customers from academia.

 

Info brochure (pdf)

ELBARA-II

more info
 
Custom-Tailored Microwave Remote Sensing Systems

 

GAMMA also develops and implements specialized custom-tailored microwave hardware, such as the active microwave instruments SnowScat and Wide-Band Scatterometer (WBScat) built for the European Space Agency (ESA).