EVALUATION OF A SPACE INTERSECTION STRATEGY FOR USE WITH STEREOSCOPIC SAR IMAGERY OVER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

摘要

The generation of topographical data from spaceborne Stereoscopic Synthetic Aperture Radar (StereoSAR) imagery requires the use of a precise sensor model for relating image coordinates to object space, and involves a process normally referred to as space intersection. The recent launch of the Envisat satellite has augmented the number of sensors available for providing StereoSAR imagery over cloud affected developing countries, such as the Caribbean, where the use of optical or even spaceborne Interferometric SAR (InSAR) techniques would be extremely limited. Using the range-Doppler equations and the superior orbital data of the Envisat satellite, this study presents a rigorous strategy for conducting space intersection without the use of costly ground control points (GCPs). The Caribbean island of Jamaica was used as a test case and the results were compared with those obtained using Radarsat imagery.