SPRATS: a versatile Simulation and Processing RAdar ToolS for planetary missions

Our knowledge of the internal structure of asteroids is currently indirect and relies entirely on inferences from remote sensing observations of the surfaces. Radar observation of asteroids is the most mature technique available in order to characterize their structure, which is fundamental for understanding the small bodies' history and for planetary defense missions. However, as the small bodies' geometry is complex, simulation of the radar design and the signal is required in order to assess the instrument performance and thus the mission science return. SPRATS is a software package designed for mission and operation analysis for planetary bodies. It provides the tools to evaluate the radar concepts and mission scenarios, evaluate the processing performances, validate data processing techniques on the final data, and process real radar data when facing complex geometries different from the Earth observation geometry. The paper presents the architecture of the SPRATS toolbox along with relevant examples to illustrate its interest.