Optimal Discriminator and Limiting Accuracy of Height Measurement for a Spaceborne Oceanographic Radar Altimeter

The required accuracy performance of a high-precision oceanographic radar altimeter can be achieved by designing a height-tracking system. The optimal discriminator of the tracking system is synthesized in this letter, and the calculation methods for its discriminating characteristics and measurement error performance are investigated. The structure of the optimized tracking system is outlined. Using the obtained results, the dependence of the limiting accuracy of a single delay-time measurement on the signal-to-noise ratio is determined. The limiting accuracy obtained by the discriminator can be specified as the measurement performance of the altimeter system.