3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

This course will begin with a brief history of commercial imagery. From there students will learn the fundamentals of various imaging sensor modalities (spectral, thermal, radar, motion imagery, etc.). Next, a historical perspective of collection management will be presented followed by changes to collection management due to technology advances within the commercial imaging industry. The strengths and weaknesses of collection models will be described, and students will learn to apply mathematically defined judgements to assess the value and cost of competitive imagery purchases. These judgments will examine the questions that drive the imagery purchase; the respective kinds of sensors and their applicability to certain questions, and the respective kinds of platforms for these sensors--aircraft, remotely piloted vehicles (drones), and different kinds of satellites, including smallsats (small satellites). The intended outcome would be the students understanding of the fundamentals of commercial imaging satellites and their collection criteria, through the comprehension of existing collection plans; the evaluation of existing collection plans; and the creation and budgeting for new collection plans.