Design of a forward looking synthetic aperture radar for an autonomous cryobot for subsurface exploration of Europa

In this paper a forward looking (end fire) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system is described for the Very deep Autonomous Laser-powered Kilowatt-class Yo-yoing Robotic Ice explorer (VALKYRIE) project. Design and analysis of novel conformal log periodic antennas for the radar and the forward looking SAR ambuguity function is presented. Fabrication and laboratory characterization of the antennas system design and in situ testing of the SAR system are discussed in detail.