SpaceNet 9: Cross-Modal Satellite Imagery Registration

Swift and effective disaster response often relies on the integration and analysis of diverse remote sensing data sources such as electro-optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). However, the co-registration of optical and SAR imagery remains a major challenge due to the inherent differences in their acquisition methods and data characteristics. SpaceNet 9 aims to address this issue by focusing on cross-modal image registration, a critical preprocessing step for disaster analysis and recovery. Participants in this challenge will develop algorithms to compute pixel-wise spatial transformations between optical imagery and SAR imagery, specifically in earthquake-affected regions. These algorithms will be evaluated for their ability to align tie-points across modalities, enabling better downstream analytics such as damage assessment and change detection.