Antenna Monopulse Measurement Modeling and Calibration for Improved Tracking

Complicated flight experiments planned for USAKA over the next decade make it important to make maximum use of existing sensor assets. ALTAIR, with its high sensitivity and wide beamwidth, can observe most of the objects in these target rich complexes from horizon break to well into reentry. Given a well calibrated, accurately modeled monopulse beam, ALTAIR will be able to continuously track all objects in the beam, providing target identification and handover state vectors to other sensors in real-time. Continuous data on all objects will also be provided for post-mission trajectory reconstruction and body motion analysis. XonTech proposes a study to develop and evaluate monopulse models and pre-mission calibration procedures for real-time implementation at ALTAIR. The objectives of the study are: 1. Analyze sphere scan data and develop functional relationships between monopulse surface shapes and radar, environmental and operating parameters. Develop corresponding uncertainty relationships. 2. Use the functional relationships to develop parameteric models with varying degrees of complexity and accuracy. 3. Develop a statistical error model from the uncertainty relationships to evaluate model accuracies. Select the best model for Phase II implementation based on accuracy, practicality for real-time implementation and premission calibration and model update requirements.