3-D information of a space target retrieved from a sequence of high-resolution 2-D ISAR images

Abstract

Using numerical scattering simulation of the BART (bidirectional analytic ray tracing method), an angular sequence of high-resolution 2-D ISAR (inverse synthetic aperture radar) images of a space target is produced. The Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT) feature tracker is then adopted for extracting feature points and matching all angularly consecutive ISAR images. 3-D positions of those featured points can be retrieved by the orthographic factorization method (OFM). As a test, a simple hexagonal frustum is used for validation and analysis. Then, two ISAR imaging sequences, one is the simulation of the Envisat satellite model and another real measurements of the space shuttle, are presented to demonstrate 3-D shape information. It shows good feasibility for 3-D status evaluation and pointing control of solar array of a satellites in orbit.