Image Quality Evaluation of the CCD Stereo Camera of Chang'E-2 Lunar Satellite

The CCD stereo camera carried by the Chang'e-2,which is China's second lunar probe satellite,successfully scanned the full coverage of the lunar surface at 7m spatial resolution during its operation.Those images are served as important data basis in relevant lunar scientific activities.However,till now,most studies have paid few attentions to its quality issues,which could introduce errors and uncertainties in the subsequent analysis,such as the image processing algorithm selection,the image interpretation and the scientific data application.In this study,we conducted a comprehensive objective assessment on the image quality of the CCD stereo camera.We found that the quality of the images captured by the Chang'e-2 is equivalent to that of foreign satellites at the same spatial resolution.We also analyzed several quality issues that needs special concern in the following image processing,such as the distinct geographic patterns exist in Chang'e-2 images,the image compression induced quality reduction,stripe noises,large location deviation between adjacent images.