Overview

SkySat imagery provides high-resolution data suitable for a wide range of mapping and analytical applications.

While product documentation clearly describes spatial resolution and orthorectification workflows, it does not always explicitly state positional accuracy metrics or recommended mapping scales. This article provides guidance to help users interpret SkySat data for mapping purposes.

Spatial Resolution vs Positional Accuracy

It is important to distinguish between:

• Ground Sample Distance (GSD):
  The size of one pixel on the ground (SkySat: ~0.5–0.6 meters)
• Geometric / Positional Accuracy:
  How accurately features are located in real-world coordinates (e.g., CE90, RMSE)

High resolution does not automatically imply high absolute positional accuracy.

SkySat Geometric Accuracy

Although not always highlighted in all documentation, SkySat orthorectified products typically achieve:

• RMSE: <10 meters
• CE90: ~10–15 meters

These values represent absolute horizontal accuracy for standard orthorectified imagery.

Accuracy may improve when:

• Ground Control Points (GCPs) are applied
• Higher-quality elevation models are used
• Additional co-registration is performed

Orthorectification Workflow (Summary)

SkySat imagery is processed to correct geometric distortions caused by terrain and sensor viewing geometry using:

• Rational Polynomial Coefficients (RPCs)
• Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)

This process produces map-projected, analysis-ready imagery, but residual positional error may remain depending on conditions.

Recommended Mapping Scales (Guidance)

Because official mapping scale recommendations are not explicitly defined, users can apply standard cartographic practice based on positional accuracy.

Using a conservative approach:

• ~10–15 m CE90 → suitable for mapping scales of approximately 1:25,000 to 1:50,000

Interpretation:

• Features are visually detailed at sub-meter resolution
• Absolute positioning supports medium-scale mapping applications