SPAT0058-1 : Observing Earth from space

Study Programmes 2015-2016

SPAT0058-1

Observing Earth from space

Duration :

15h Th

Number of credits :

Master in space sciences (120 ECTS)		2

Lecturer :

Christian Barbier

Language(s) of instruction :

English language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Course contents :

The design of a space mission for a given application must start from an expressed need, which is going to impact the choice and the specification of one or several sensors (VIS/NIR multi- or hyperspectral, microwave radiometer, imaging radar,...); this sensor delivers a signal that must be reconstructed by a processing chain into a basic product (e.g., an image) reflecting a given physical observable. From this basic product, value-aded information (e.g., relief, land-use, humidity or crop status maps) will be extracted via (sometimes very advanced) post-processing, to satisfy user's needs. Based on this need - sensor - basic product - value-added product structuration, applications shall be considered, corresponding to main components of the Earth system, i.e. : atmospheric monitoring (atmosphere), topographic mapping (lithosphere), vegetation monitoring (biosphere), and soil moisture monitoring (hydrosphere). Emphasis shall be put on missions in progress or planned in a near future in Europe, possibly with the participation of Belgium.
This course complements the following courses :
- SPAT0035-1 Space Exploration (G. Rauw) ;
- SPAT0032-1 Remote Sensing (C. Barbier) ;
- AERO0018-3 Design of Space Experiments (P. Rochus).

Learning outcomes of the course :

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the context and the environment in which a scientific investigator has to work when he/she is responsible of a space instrument or a space mission.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills :

Bachelor in science or engineering

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

The lectures shall combine technical formal developments as well as descriptive information. The emphasis shall be put, less on assimilation than on the capability of acquiring an integrated (system-oriented) and multidisciplinaryapproach of a domain.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :

6 lectures (total 15 h) during the first quadrimester.