Identification of the Geometric Form of Local Reflectors of a Space Vehicle by a Broadband Polarimeter

The possibility of increasing the information content of radar methods for observing spacecrafts has been investigated. A method for identifying the geometric shape of local reflectors is proposed, based on the combined application of polarization methods and a model of scattering of electromagnetic waves described by the geometric theory of diffraction. The main features of the implementation of the proposed method are considered, and the results of its approbation in the problem of analyzing the local reflectors of a low-orbit spacecraft are presented. It is shown that the proposed method makes it possible to expand the range of geometric types of identifiable reflectors and to evaluate the geometric shape of the corresponding structural elements.