3-D Inverse Synthetic Aperture Ladar Imaging and Scaling of Space Debris Based on the Fractional Fourier Transform

The inverse synthetic aperture ladar (ISAL) is an important method for observation and imaging of space targets. Here, a 3-D ISAL imaging algorithm is proposed for spinning targets such as space debris. Since laser wavelength is 4–5 orders of magnitude smaller than that of microwave, the Doppler frequency caused by target motion is more pronounced in ISAL. Doppler frequency modulation rates can be estimated by the fractional Fourier transform with respect to azimuth slow time even when the rotation angle is small such that scattering centers do not migrate through a range cell. Then, slant range, Doppler frequency, and Doppler frequency modulation rates form a 3-D space. The angular velocity and the incident angle can be estimated by the position relationship between the scattering centers in two observations. After image scaling, the 3-D shape and size of the target can be obtained. The 3-D structure of the target in the simulation experiment is accurately reconstructed. Monte Carlo experiments are conducted to discuss the effect of the signal-to-noise ratio and observation time on the algorithm. Finally, the effectiveness and robustness of the algorithm are verified.