Page 197 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

Crew Earth Observations of forest fires near Sydney, Australia, taken with a handheld camera just
after local sunset on Oct. 23, 2013. Orange fires and gray smoke threaten nearby towns.
Image credit: NASA

The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation not only been a successful testing of a system that
(GEDI) mission uses a three-LiDAR system to map has shown great improvements in monitoring global
global forest vertical structure. This information, maritime traffic, it has proven that the system can
compared with historical information on forest save lives.
canopy structure and extent, helps to characterize The current ground-based Automatic Identification
and measure the effects of climate change and land System (AIS), as specified by the International Maritime
use change on the above-ground biomass associated Organization (IMO), is a ship-and-shore-based
with forest cover.
broadcast system designed to monitor maritime
The combined capabilities of both human-operated and vessels only in coastal waters. The AIS for Columbus,
autonomous sensor systems aboard the space station known as the Vessel Identification System, operates
are helping to significantly improve our ability to monitor in the very high-frequency (VHF) maritime band and
the Earth’s land and water surface and our atmosphere, greatly expands this capability. This AIS has been
and to respond to natural hazards and disasters.
Integration of the space station Earth observation
systems represents a significant and complementary
addition to the international, satellite-based, Earth-
observing “system of systems,” providing knowledge
and insight into our shared global environment. This crucial technology continues
to save lives by allowing ships

Tracking Global Marine Traffic that are close to accidents or
and Saving Lives emergencies to come to the
The Vessel Identification System on the Columbus aid of vessels in distress.
module of the space station has successfully
monitored maritime traffic since 2010. This has

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