Yeah this kind of kindergarten explanation I've seen.. This is making a bunch of simplification that aren't helpful
With a phased array you're beam forming and sweeping an area of space. Your signal returns are from the beam or side lobes. You can passively beam form on Rx as well.
But with SAR you're not beam forming. You're illuminating everything - the whole ground below you. And you get a return from everywhere all at once. Two equidistant reflectors will return signals simulatenously. If your flight path is between these two points, and the distance is always equal, how can you differentiate them?
You're digitally beam forming on the Rx somehow but I think there is more to it
With a phased array you're beam forming and sweeping an area of space. Your signal returns are from the beam or side lobes. You can passively beam form on Rx as well.
But with SAR you're not beam forming. You're illuminating everything - the whole ground below you. And you get a return from everywhere all at once. Two equidistant reflectors will return signals simulatenously. If your flight path is between these two points, and the distance is always equal, how can you differentiate them?
You're digitally beam forming on the Rx somehow but I think there is more to it