The Subdisciplines of
Electrical and Computer Engineering

Space Science and Remote Sensing

As human activities in space grow each year, there are increasing needs for us to understand the space environment. It is important to know about the various physical and chemical processes that are occurring in space so that intelligent plans and decisions can be made as man enters this new frontier. One of the most efficient means to acquire such information is through remote sensing.

Remote sensing is the science of obtaining information about an object, surface, or body through the analysis of data acquired by a device not in touch or contact with the object, surface, or body under investigation. In many applications, remote probing by electromagnetic waves throughout the spectrum, especially in radio and optical frequencies, has played a dominant role. The experimental methodologies include wave propagation techniques, radar techniques, and lidar techniques. The platforms for the equipment can be ground-based, space-borne, or mixed.

To interpret properly the remotely sensed data, a sound knowledge of energy-matter interaction in electromagnetic, as well as acoustic, spectra is desirable. This includes propagation characteristics, emissivity and absorption spectroscopy, scattering properties of a body, and reflectivity properties of a surface. Clearly, electrical engineers are needed to perform vital tasks in the design and implementation of the complex diagnostic systems that have been placed on space labs, rockets, balloons, and the Earth's surface.

Promising areas for future breakthroughs abound in the atmospheric, environmental, and space sciences. Planetary atmospheres in our solar system will be under investigation, and studies of these are expected to yield new insights into the understanding of the complexities of the Earth's atmospheric evolution and environment. Ground-based as well as space-borne radars and lidars are expected to play a prominent role in these investigations. Space and global satellite communications will continue to flourish in the decades ahead. High-power transmitting systems and sophisticated detection systems will be required, as well as a clear understanding of the propagation of the different waves through various media.

One of the important investigative tools in Space Science and Remote Sensing is the use of electromagnetic waves which may be in any part of the whole electromagnetic spectrum. Knowledge of their generation, modulation, transmission, interaction, detection and signal processing for information extraction is therefore desirable. The following courses cover some of these areas.

Suggested ECE Electives (including laboratory courses)

  • ECE 453 - Radio Communication Circuits (3 Hrs)
  • ECE 458 - Application of Radio Wave Propagation (3 Hrs)
  • ECE 468 - Optical Remote Sensing (3 Hrs)
  • ECE 498AL - Global Navigtion Satellite Systems (3 Hrs)

Suggested Non-ECE Technical Electives

  • Math 415 - Linear Algebra (3 Hrs)
  • Math 442 - Intro Partial Diff Equations (3 Hrs)
  • Math 446 - Applied Complex Variables (3 Hrs)
  • CS 455 - Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations (3 Hrs)

Other Advanced Electives

Students interested in additional advice should consult with any member of the Space Science and Remote Sensing Area: W. C. Chew, S. J. Franke, F. Kamalabadi, E. Kudeki, J. Makela, and Gary R. Swenson.