Planetary Geology with Imaging Radar: Insights from Earth-based Lunar Studies, 2001-2015

Radar exploration of the Solar System changed dramatically during and beyond the period of the Magellan mission to Venus. These changes included an expansion of the community familiar with microwave data, and the forging of a strong connection with polarimetric scattering models developed through terrestrial field measurements and airborne radar studies. During the period, advances in computing power and imaging techniques also allowed Earth-based radar experiments to acquire data at the highest spatial resolutions permitted by their transmitter systems. This paper traces these developments through a case study of lunar observations over the past 15 years, and their implications for ongoing and future Solar System radar studies.