Analysis of multi-aspect and fully polarimetric L-band SAR data from uavsar over spacex rocket debris site

On September 21 and 22, 2016, the L-band UAVSAR airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaged the SpaceX rocket debris field at Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Florida. This debris field was the result of an explosion of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during its launch preparations on September 1. The data collected by UAVSAR allowed us to investigate methods for the detection of small ground targets in a complex wetland environment using multi-aspect, fully polarimetric, and high resolution SAR data. We developed a new time domain processor to focus the SAR data directly to a predefined map grid instead of traditional radar coordinates. This approach allowed us to form co-registered SAR images acquired from 8 flight headings to a common map grid without additional resampling. We computed various polarimetric observables for each observed aspect angle, then calculated statistical deviations to identify candidate locations of debris.