Page 64 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

The presence of the space station in LEO provides that relates spectrometer imaging data to CO uptake in
2
a unique vantage point for collecting Earth and space an ecosystem, and demonstrated that imagery from the
science data. From an average altitude of about space station can be used to map spatial patterns and
400 km, details in such features as glaciers, agricultural improve understanding of ecosystem and agricultural
fields, cities and coral reefs taken from the ISS can be productivity. Productivity data enable scientists to
layered with other sources of data, such as orbiting model how changes in CO levels in the atmosphere
2
satellites, to compile the most comprehensive will impact future agricultural production, and to predict
information available. From Expedition 1 through the ecosystem stability as it relates to agricultural crops,
present, ISS crew members have taken more than one rangelands and forests (Huemmrich et al., 2017).
million images of Earth—almost half of the total number Microwave radiometry results from the space station
of images taken from orbit by astronauts since the first provided methods for remote sensing of the Earth in
Mercury missions. Scientists and the public around the the prospective decimeter range of electromagnetic
world have access to Crew Earth Observations (CEO) waves in order to determine changes in soil moisture,
images captured by astronauts on the space station vegetation cover parameters, and sea surface salinity.
through the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of This innovative eight-beam microwave radiometer of
Earth Web site (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov). Scientific the decimeter range allows for the development of
analyses using CEO data have been published in new methods for remote sensing of the Earth to aid
scientific journals in a wide variety of disciplines. in our understanding of ocean physics, climatology
Images of the Earth at night are an exceptional and weather forecasting, among others (Smirnov et
source of human geographical data because artificial al., 2012; Akvilonova et al., 2013; Smirnov et al., 2010).
light highlights human activity. Because ISS imagery
provides some spectral information as well as street-
level resolution, nighttime imagery brings “cultural
footprints” to light and are of greater use in
epidemiological studies. CEO images are
archived in a web-based database and are
available to scientists worldwide.
Hyperspectral data from the space station has
helped to inform algorithm development for gross
ecosystem production (GEP), which is a easurement
of energy flow in an ecosystem. GEP data enable
scientists to model how changes in CO levels in the
2
atmosphere will impact future agricultural production
and to predict ecosystem stability. Researchers from Example of microwave radiometry results.
the University of Maryland, Baltimore used remote Image credit: ROSCOSMOS
sensing data from the ISS to develop an algorithm

50