Attitude estimation of space targets by extracting line features from ISAR image sequences

In this letter, an attitude estimation method is presented for space targets by using an inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) image sequence. The line structures, like the boundaries of planar payloads, are extracted from the ISAR image sequence and associated from frame to frame. With the accommodation of the radar looking angle information from the trajectory, the threedimensional attitude of the target is achieved by solving an object-to-Range-Doppler (RD) projection optimization. Detailed image processing is provided for line structure extraction, orientation estimation and association. Experiment confirms the effectiveness of the proposal.