Radiometric Cross-Calibration and Validation of KOMPSAT-3/AEISS Using Sentinel-2A/MSI

The successful launch of Korea Multipurpose Satellite-3/Advanced Earth Imaging Sensor System (KOMPSAT-3/AEISS) on 18 May 2012 allowed the Republic of Korea to meet the growing demand for high-resolution satellite imagery. However, like all satellite sensors, KOMPSAT-3/AEISS experienced temporal changes post-launch and thus requires ongoing evaluation and calibration. Although more than a decade has passed since launch, the KOMPSAT-3/AEISS mission and its multi-year data archive remain widely used. This study focused on the cross-calibration of KOMPSAT-3/AEISS with Sentinel-2A/Multispectral Instrument (MSI) by comparing the radiometric responses of the two satellite sensors under similar observation conditions, leveraging the linear relationship between Digital Numbers (DN) and top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance. Cross-calibration was performed using near-simultaneous satellite images of the same region, and the Spectral Band Adjustment Factor (SBAF) was calculated and applied to account for differences in spectral response functions (SRF). Additionally, Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) correction was applied using MODIS-based kernel models to minimize angular reflectance effects caused by differences in viewing and illumination geometry. This study aims to evaluate the radiometric consistency of KOMPSAT-3/AEISS relative to Sentinel-2A/MSI over Baotou scenes acquired in 2022–2023, derive band-specific calibration coefficients and compare them with prior results, and conduct a side-by-side comparison of cross-calibration and vicarious calibration. Furthermore, the cross-calibration yielded band-specific gains of 0.0196 (Blue), 0.0237 (Green), 0.0214 (Red), and 0.0136 (NIR). These findings offer valuable implications for Earth observation, environmental monitoring, and the planning and execution of future satellite missions.