Imagery Sensor Operations Principles Explained Training

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the fundamental principles of imagery sensor operations, including electromagnetic spectrum and sensor resolutions.
• Differentiate between passive and active sensor systems and their applications.
• Analyze the factors affecting image quality and sensor performance.
• Apply calibration and correction techniques to ensure data accuracy.
• Evaluate sensor data for specific operational requirements.
• Demonstrate the ability to interpret imagery sensor outputs for decision-making.

Target Audience

This course is designed for technicians, analysts, and professionals involved in remote sensing, geospatial data collection, or surveillance operations who need to understand imagery sensor fundamentals.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

The practicals provide hands-on experience with imagery sensor data, including calibration, correction, and quality assessment using open-source software (QGIS, SNAP). Learners will work with real satellite imagery to apply concepts from theory and develop skills in sensor operation and data processing.

Practical Activities

• Practical 1: Sensor Familiarisation and Image Inspection — Learners explore sample imagery from different sensors (Landsat, Sentinel-2, WorldView), inspect metadata, and identify sensor characteristics such as resolution and band configuration. (4h)
• Practical 2: Radiometric and Geometric Correction — Using QGIS and SNAP, learners perform radiometric calibration (converting DN to radiance/reflectance) and geometric correction (georeferencing with GCPs). (4h)
• Practical 3: Atmospheric Correction and MTF Analysis — Learners apply atmospheric correction using dark object subtraction (DOS) and analyse MTF from edge targets to assess image sharpness. (4h)
• Practical 4: Acquisition Planning and Mini-Project — In groups, learners design a sensor acquisition plan for a given scenario (e.g., crop monitoring), then process sample data to produce analysis-ready products and present results. (4h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.