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| Using Space to Observe the Earth |
| Overview |
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Astronauts and Cosmonauts on the International Space Station are beginning their first scientific studies. They will be photographing the Earth’s surface as part of an early payload -- Crew Earth Observations. Since early space missions in the 1960s, astronauts have photographed the Earth below, observing the world’s geography and documenting transient events like storms, floods, fires, and volcanic eruptions. Target sites include major deltas in south and east Asia; coral reefs; smog-prone urban regions; areas experiencing major floods or droughts triggered by El Niño cycles, high altitude glaciers (reflecting longer-term climate changes), faults associated with major tectonic plate boundaries, and features on Earth, like impact craters, that are analogs to structures on other planets, like Mars. The Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center has provided a set of fact sheets as examples to better explain the science and applications behind some of these sites. The Expedition One crew continues that tradition observing selected sites throughout the world to enhance the existing data base and assist scientists in understanding these changes. During their time on the ISS, the astronauts will document ecologically sensitive areas such as coral reefs and meteorological phenomena such as El Nino. |
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