Tutorials

Passive radar technology and the space domain are both rapidly evolving fields that are increasingly converging to address the growing need for persistent, wide-area surveillance, both on ground and from space. This tutorial provides an overview of passive radar applications in the space domain and is organized into three complementary parts. First, it examines spaceborne illuminators of opportunity, including television broadcast, communication (e.g., Starlink, OneWeb) and Synthetic Aperture radar (SAR) satellites (e.g., ICEYE), and discusses their suitability for passive radar sensing. Second, it focuses on spaceborne targets, such as satellites and space debris, where ground-based passive radar systems, including radio astronomy infrastructures such as LOFAR, for detection, tracking, characterization, and orbit determination, to enhance Space Domain Awareness (SDA). Third, it explores the emerging concept of spaceborne passive radar receivers, addressing opportunities, architectures, and challenges associated with deploying passive radar sensing capabilities in orbit. The tutorial combines theoretical foundations, practical considerations, and recent experimental results to highlight future research directions in passive radar in relation to the space domain.