Experimental activity for 3D coordinates mensuration from COSMO-SkyMed SAR data through radargrammetry: Technique and methodology

COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) is a constellation of four satellites in sun-synchronous orbit, equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload. In the framework of CSK Operational Test & Evaluation (OT&E) activities, aimed at assessing the system potential to support the Italian Air Force (ItAF) operational capabilities, an experimental campaign was set up by the Aero-Space System Engineering Group of the ItAF Flight Test Wing, with the support of the Joint Center for Satellite Remote Sensing and the Aeronautical Geo-topographic Information Center, in order to assess the accuracy of CSK system for 3D coordinates mensuration. Aim of this paper is to show the technique used to measure 3D coordinates from a dataset of CSK SAR data acquired on-purpose, and the methodology applied to perform the experimental activity and to validate the obtained results through a set of ground truths generated in the frame of this study.