Peter Reinartz

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)

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About

Peter Reinartz is a leading figure in satellite remote sensing, with a primary focus on atmospheric correction and the precise retrieval of geophysical parameters from spaceborne imagery. His major contributions lie in advancing the accuracy of surface reflectance products, particularly for the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 mission. Reinartz’s seminal work on the APDA (Atmospheric Pre-corrected Differential Absorption) water vapor retrieval method has been instrumental in refining atmospheric correction algorithms, directly enhancing the quality of data used in environmental monitoring and land-use studies. This research, validated in his highly cited 2016 paper (18 citations), addresses a critical bottleneck in satellite data processing—the interplay between aerosol and water vapor retrieval. Beyond atmospheric science, Reinartz has innovated in the domain of space situational awareness, developing appearance-based learning techniques for 3D pose detection of satellites at close range (2017, 10 citations), a key capability for autonomous rendezvous and debris mitigation. His work bridges fundamental atmospheric physics with applied computer vision, demonstrating a versatile impact on both Earth observation and orbital robotics. Reinartz’s contributions are essential reading for students and researchers working on Sentinel-2 data processing, atmospheric correction, or autonomous satellite operations.