Elizabeth Howell – Australian Science

Should Australia have its own space agency?

Elizabeth Howell — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 00:06:17 +0000

A false-colour view of Australia during the drought season. Credit: NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of USDA FAS and processed by Jennifer Small and Assaf Anyamba, NASA GIMMS Group at Goddard Space Flight Center

Despite its lack of a space agency, Australia has a rich space heritage. Its telescopes, many of which are set up in desert areas, provide excellent views of the nighttime sky. It has dishes that stay in touch with NASA spacecraft (perhaps most famously, broadcasting Apollo 11 as the first lunar landing crew worked on the surface.) There also are many professionals that work in space, whether in astronomy, engineering, various sciences or other fields.

This month, Andrew Dempster (who is the director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research, as well a sa professor at the University of New South Wales) published an article in The Conversation outlining 10 reasons why he believes Australia “urgently” needs a space agency.

Dempster’s plea isn’t the first such one. In 2008, as he points out, the Australian Senate Standing Committee on Economics wrote a report (called “Lost In Space“). Besides repeating the oft-made observation that Australia is alone among its OECD peers in not having a space program, the report stated that Australia’s work “in space science and industry has drifted and the sense of purpose has been lost.”

A few Australians have flown in space, such as Andy Thomas, who is pictured here during a spacewalk on mission STS-102 in 2001. Credit: NASA

The report, and Dempster in his new article, both urged the government to set a policy to make it easier for industry to figure out where to go next.

“Personally, my problem with Australia’s reactive approach to overseas approaches on space missions is only partly that we don’t have the competence of a space agency to answer such questions from foreign agencies. More important is that we don’t have the people to ask them,” he wrote. “There is no one in Australia dedicated to finding satellite solutions to Australia’s problems.”

There are other benefits that would flow as well from having an established space program, Dempster said. Space funding would be stabilized, technical responsibilities would be better understood, and satellite work in particular could accelerate. In a country that is so sparsely populated, satellites are essential for Australian communications as well as to view agriculture, forest fires and other features from above.

Australia’s Parkes Observatory received the first transmissions of human steps on the moon in 1969. Credit: NASA/YouTube screenshot

A space program, once established, would not be a panacea for all problems. NASA, for example, is currently fighting a hard battle in Congress to get funding for the commercial spaceflight partner programs it wants to bring human launches back to American soil. Canada’s space program recently received criticism in a government-issued report that said the lack of funding stability is hampering its goals. Money will always be a problem, whether there is an established space agency or not.

What must be established is whether a space agency is a good point of access for external stakeholders to forge partnerships with Australia, if universities and industry require a connecting node to form relationships, and if the economy itself requires a spur to put money into space — a government spur that could front money during tough economic conditions, for example, to stimulate the economy.

What is your feeling on the matter? Feel free to leave your comments below.

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-08-15 00:06:17). Should Australia have its own space agency?. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 28, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/should-australia-have-its-own-space-agency/

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Astronauts And Some Australians Get Lonely. How To Fix? This Robot Could Be A Start.

Elizabeth Howell — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 00:03:32 +0000

The Kirobo robot that will be on board the International Space Station. Credit: ToyotaEurope (YouTube screen shot)

Living alone can be an isolating experience, whether you’re in a remote area of the Outback, in a condo in downtown Sydney, or floating in the International Space Station. In the latter spot, to be sure, there are other astronauts on board and Mission Control is only a radio call away. Still, however, you’re away from family in a dangerous environment.

Japan has just sent up a cute robot, called Kirobo. It talks in Japanese and is intended to be a sometimes companion to astronaut Kochi Wakata, who will arrive on station in November if the schedule holds. The cargo spacecraft, with Kirobo on board, is en route to the station and should arrive Aug. 9.

“The Kibo robot has a special mission: to help solve the problems brought about by a society that has become more individualized and less communicative,” the Japanese space agency (JAXA) stated. “Nowadays, more and more people are living alone. It’s not just the elderly — with today’s changing lifestyles, it’s people of all ages. With a new style of robot-human interface, perhaps a new way to solve this problem could be found.”

This could have applications for Australians that are living alone or in rural areas. In June, there was a program on ABC Australia radio exploring loneliness for men that are in rural areas. Statistically, the scientists said, men are more likely to die from lung cancer and suicide than women, and it is difficult to get them to talk about their health — especially in remote areas. You can listen to their suggestions here.

Loneliness is also a common problem among the Australian elderly, which was explored in this 2010 Health and Social Care in the Community paper. “Participants expressed the importance of maintaining social contact and having a sense of connection and belonging to the community,” the researchers wrote.

If you’re feeling lonely yourself, this fact sheet from ReachOut.com has coping strategies such as talking to others, reducing your workload and working through negative patterns of thinking through bolstering self-talk.

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-08-07 00:03:32). Astronauts And Some Australians Get Lonely. How To Fix? This Robot Could Be A Start.. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 28, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/astronauts-and-some-australians-get-lonely-how-to-fix-this-robot-could-be-a-start/

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The astronaut as an Outback handyman or handywoman

Elizabeth Howell — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 00:01:59 +0000

Working in space is just slightly more remote than working in the Outback. Credit: NASA

Perhaps the ultimate expression of Australian self-sufficiency is those workers in the remote areas of the Outback, digging for oil or dinosaur treasure or perhaps using a telescope to gaze at the stars, far from light pollution. In much of Australia, if something breaks, you’re going to have to find a way to fix it yourself.

That’s pretty similar to what astronauts face on the International Space Station. If a toilet or treadmill snaps, or if a solar panel fizzles, the astronauts can surely call for help to Mission Control to get some procedures. Ultimately, however, the men and women on board will need to fix the problem themselves with whatever tools are there.

Enter these pictures of an astronaut toolbox making the rounds in several media reports. Tim Peake, an astronaut with the European Space Agency, posted a photoset of a toolbox that astronauts use on the space station. The array of screwdrivers and washers and clamps is impressive, and demonstrates how the station partners are trying to prepare for just about any eventuality.

A single drawer in a toolbox used aboard the International Space Station. Credit: Tim Peake/Flickr

What’s even more impressive is the tools that are used during spacewalks. This, in fact, prompted one astronaut crew (STS-61) to find itself on the American show Home Improvement during the 1990s — simply because they had fixed the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit.

“It’s a lot like using tools here on Earth, except there’s no gravity, so you don’t have to worry about dropping a tool on your foot,” joked commander Richard Covey on the show, a Season 3 episode called “Reality Bytes.” At least two other NASA crews appeared in future seasons of the show because of their work during spacewalks.

Just goes to show you that a repair, whether in space or on Earth, can take you to unexpected places.

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-07-29 00:01:59). The astronaut as an Outback handyman or handywoman. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 28, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/the-astronaut-as-an-outback-handyman-or-handywoman/

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Spiders on Mars? No, An Australian Radio Telescope!

Elizabeth Howell — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 00:08:25 +0000

Australia’s Murchison Widefield Array, a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array. Credit: SKA

Those white insect-like things you see in the picture are not spiders on Mars, but the array that they’re a part of could help astronomers understand how the universe and its life came to be.

What you see there is the Murchison Widefield Array, a newly ready radio telescope in western Australia in a remote area about 300 kilometres northeast of Geraldton. Using more than 2,000 antennas (some of which you can see in that picture), astronomers will soon pick up very faint signals from far into space.

“In addition to helping us see back to the origins of the universe, the array will also help us to understand the interaction between the earth and the sun, give early warning of destructive solar flares and study our galaxy and other galaxies,

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-07-22 00:08:25). Spiders on Mars? No, An Australian Radio Telescope!. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 28, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/spiders-on-mars-no-an-australian-radio-telescope/

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Australian scramjet test illustrates the importance of suborbital research

Elizabeth Howell — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 00:31:07 +0000

The University of Queensland Scramspace team with a smaller prototype of the 1.8m long hypersonic scramjet. Credit: University of Queensland

Space rocket launches tend to get a lot of attention in the media, particularly when humans are on board. There’s something a little … strange … about watching a human-made object make it into orbit, even as we’re well into our sixth decade of sending stuff into the solar system.

While many people think that a space rocket will always make it into orbit around Earth, at the least, that’s not the way orbital mechanics works. Rockets must reach a certain height and speed in order to orbit our planet. Anything less, and the rocket is considered a suborbital one — one that essentially blasts up and then falls back down to Earth.

These launches are still valuable, however. Because they’re cheaper than orbital missions, they provide a platform for small businesses as well as universities to perform work. For example, they often can feature a few minutes of weightlessness where researchers can get a quick glimpse of how microgravity affects manufacturing or life processes. They’re also good for a scout of weather conditions or even to perform quick bursts of astronomy.

The University of Queensland plans to launch a scramjet aboard a suborbital rocket. This type of engine, which can be used in hypersonic speeds, is expected to reach 8,600 kilometres an hour during its launch from the Andøya Rocket Range, a Norwegian launch site 300 kilometres inside the Arctic circle.

An illustration of how a scramjet works. Credit: NASA

“We have been working with our project partners to test the components of this scramjet in the laboratory with wind tunnels and simulations for the past three years, but testing the scramjet in real flight conditions will be the ultimate test,” stated Russell Boyce , the hypersonics university chair who leads the “Scramspace” project.

“The test period itself will last for just three seconds before the scramjet completely combusts, but the amount of data we can collect in those seconds is enormous. It will give us insights into hypersonic physics, hypersonic combustion, performance of materials and components and how we will make these vehicles fly in future.”

The scramjet will be shipped there in August. It would be a spectacular test to watch, as it will go up to 340 kilometres in altitude on a two-stage rocket. Then the scramjet vehicle will separate itself from the launch vehicle and prepare for re-entry — reaching Mach 8 before it undergoes a planned self-destruction over the water.

About $5 million in funding for the Scramspace project came from the Australian Space Research Program. More information on the researchers’ activities is here.

While Australia is one player in the scramjet research field, the applications of this research are also reaching international agencies such as NASA and DARPA (the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency). DARPA, in fact, has done testing with the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organization, such as this 2007 examination that was supposed to examine how to create an engine with efficient thrust compared to drag.

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-07-12 00:31:07). Australian scramjet test illustrates the importance of suborbital research. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 28, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/australian-scramjet-test-illustrates-the-importance-of-suborbital-research/

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Could Australian Terrain Help Train Future Mars Explorers?

Elizabeth Howell — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 00:01:32 +0000

Researchers simulate Mars exploration during a 2008 NASA Desert RATS (Research and Technology Studies) exercise in Arizona. Credit: NASA

How do you rehearse for a Martian space trip? Simulations can only bring astronauts so far when they’re figuring out a mission. A typical person training for the International Space Station can expect a combination of classroom work, spacewalk rehearsals in the water, and robotic arm training using articles that are very close to the real deal.

Exploring another world is a complex problem yet again. Astronauts in the Apollo mission received hundreds of hours in geology training, for example, and flew to areas ranging from Meteor Crater in Arizona to the site of a huge crater in Sudbury, Ont. Today, NASA and other research institutions carry out Mars mission research at two Mars Society sites in Canada and Utah, among other locations.

Turns out Australia’s challenging environment could also be a good analog for the Red Planet. The Great Artesian Basin, which stretches across much of the east side of the continent, is the site of “acidic weathering” that could be similar to what was experienced on Mars, a new study says. Perhaps future Martian trainees could add Australia to their list of destinations.

A map of the Great Artesian Basin. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The tough environment has an economic link to Australia: precious opals, the national gemstone of the country. The May 2013 paper in the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences suggests not only a way that opals form.

There’s a bit of a mystery behind opal formation, which Markus Hammonds documented in a past Australian Science article. Also, their formation could point to similarities to the Red Planet.

“Interestingly, acidic oxidative weathering has been documented at the surface of Mars, which shares an intriguing set of attributes with the Great Artesian Basin,” stated the scientific paper.

These characteristics include sandstones that appear very similar between the locations, a “drying out” period that created clay and opaline silica, and even a similar red color, the paper noted. The opals themselves were formed after the acidic weathering dried out the landscape amid the Eromanga Sea receding about 100 million years ago.

A sample of precious opal. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

So what are the implications of this link between Australia and Mars?

It could help us better understand geological features. Rovers on Mars keep stumbling across evidence of minerals that formed in water, “including opal-bearing mineral assemblages”, the paper noted. Research on the Red Planet is thus helping us to better understand how opal formed in Australia, it added, and how the area was dehydrated during the Late Cretaceous.

It could teach us more about each planet’s history. Both areas are very red, suggesting that “oxidative weathering played an important role during and after the dehydration of Mars’ surface”, the paper stated. From a wider perspective, comparative planetology between Mars and Earth could help us understand how a planet can lose much of its atmosphere (as Mars did) or hang on to it (as Earth has, so far.)

Australia could be a good training ground for budding Martian scientists. This finding has already generated a lot of interest in the greater space community (it was picked up by a NASA astrobiology publication, for example) and will likely bring about more research into the links. This could potentially bring Australia to more prominence as a potential training ground for Mars exploration. Geologists could train for searching on Mars by searching in the Great Artesian Basin.

Human Mars exploration is likely still years away, but at the very least, Australia could be a spot where technology is tested out and Martian geological exploration is simulated. The Mars Society has talked about putting in a “Mars-OZ” base in Australia, for example.

There are substantial risks to the journey — this Australian Science article by Sharon Harnett explains more about the hazards associated with radiation and cardiovascular damage, among other risks. There’s a lot we need to figure out. But as more findings like this recent one are released, interest in Australia as an analog environment is bound to increase.

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-07-08 00:01:32). Could Australian Terrain Help Train Future Mars Explorers?. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 28, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/could-australian-terrain-help-train-future-mars-explorers/

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Is That Satellite Junk? Or An Important Piece of Australian History?

Elizabeth Howell — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 00:04:04 +0000

Thousands of objects surround Earth, but one Australian archaeologist argues care must be taken before getting rid of them. Credit: NASA Orbital Debris Program Office

Please don’t go all Chicken Little on us, but do be aware: there’s thousands of pieces of metal orbiting above your head. Many of these satellites are dead (read: out of fuel and uncontrollable.) And if one happens to smash into another, the results could be catastrophic. Humans depend on satellites for everything from the Internet, to weather forecasts, to ATMs.

This is a growing problem that is preoccupying entities such as NASA, which has an Orbital Debris Program Office. The Europeans recently had a space debris conference where experts estimated there is 1 billion Euros of infrastructure that must be protected. They called for some sort of retrieval solution as soon as possible.

Against this backdrop stands Alice Gorman, a space archaeologist at Flinders University in Adelaide. She says she’s fully aware of the problem, but urges the relevant authorities not to take out these satellites willy-nilly. Part of Australia’s and the world’s cultural heritage rests in these bits of metal, she said at TEDxSydney last month.

Alice Gorman, a space archaeologist at Flinders University, delivers a talk at TEDxSydney in May 2013. Credit: TEDxSydney/YouTube (screenshot)

“Before we start trying to get rid of some of this stuff,” she told attendees in a speech later put on the web, “[ask] does any of it any have cultural significance for us? Does it have heritage value? And do we want to do something sensible about it, instead of destroy all that without thinking?”

Australia is among the nations that could stand to lose that heritage if satellites are destroyed without forethought, she said. Among those is a satellite that was designed by amateurs and was one of the first Australian ones to make it into space.

Called Australis-OSCAR-5, students at the University of Melbourne constructed the small amateur radio satellite out of whatever parts they could scrounge on a small budget. In some cases, pieces came off-the-shelf — not from satellite manufacturers, but from local stores, Gorman said. It launched in 1970 and has been dead for decades, she added, but there is still history attached with it.

One of NASA’s Vanguard satellites. Vanguard 1, launched in 1958, remains the oldest human object in orbit. Credit: NASA

Australian ground infrastructure is also, in a way, represented in space. Vanguard 1 is the oldest human object to exist in orbit. Launched in 1958 by the United States, it signalled the country’s entry into the Space Race of competing missions that occupied Americans and Russians for at least the better part of a decade. (It came to a symbolic end when Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969, although the Russians were already pursuing other goals than moon missions by this time.)

When the United States was getting ready to lob Vanguard into space, officials approached several countries (including Australia) to set up a network to track the satellite in orbit, Gorman said.

Additionally, worldwide groups of amateurs (including Australians) were invited to send in their observations of Vanguard 1. Remember, satellites were rare machines in those days, so initiatives such as that would have gained a lot of attention.

Voyager’s Golden Record, which includes sounds recorded from Australian aboriginals. Credit: NASA

Gorman said these objects, although they haven’t been functional for years, are symbolic pieces of us in space. Perhaps the ultimate expression for Australians is the Golden Record that travelled on each of the Voyager spacecraft that are on a one-way trip out of the solar system. The sounds of Earth recorded on them include some from Australian aboriginals.

“The [spacecraft] remind us that space isn’t just empty and vast and black and dark, and somewhere else out there we’re actually part of it,” Gorman added.

“It is something we should be feeling connected with, not cut off from. Our cultural heritage — these places and these artifacts — demonstrate the kinds of attachments and meanings we can give to these space places.”

To space authorities, Gorman seems to be saying: your move. There is a need to remove objects fairly quickly and efficiently, but before doing so, perhaps their history should be taken into account.

That said, this opens up questions about how to deem one piece of debris more culturally significant than another. Perhaps an international office of sorts could be established to deal with these questions, basing its work on that of heritage organizations around the world.

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-06-26 00:04:04). Is That Satellite Junk? Or An Important Piece of Australian History?. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 28, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/is-that-satellite-junk-or-an-important-piece-of-australian-history/

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Could The Next Australian In Space Be A Paying Tourist?

Elizabeth Howell — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 00:32:31 +0000

Australian Andy Thomas during a spacewalk on mission STS-102 in 2001. Credit: NASA

A flurry of press articles went out this week after NASA announced its eight new astronaut candidates. The agency touted these people, who range from doctors to fighter pilots, as a generation of astronauts that will at last be trained for missions beyond Earth’s orbit.

The agency is eyeing the moon, and Mars, as eventual destinations for astronauts in the coming decades. The long-term plan for NASA keeps shifting every few years, but right now it is embracing a sort of “flexible destination” approach that is intended to bring humans further into space.

Australia, of course, does not have an astronaut program of its own. But it does have Andy Thomas, an Adelaide-born mechanical engineer who flew four times in space, most recently on STS-114 Discovery in 2005. When asked by NASA about his aspirations as a kid in a country without an astronaut program, he expressed optimism about the situation:

Andy Thomas aboard Discovery on STS-114. Credit: NASA

“I think for a young kid growing up in Australia at that time, the prospects of becoming an astronaut were remote, to say the least,” he said in a 2005 interview with NASA.

“But I’ve always believed that the pathway to many interesting experiences can be opened if you have the right kind of education, and certainly that’s true in my case. I think education, in fact, can open doors that you can’t even imagine and that would forever remain closed if you did not seek good education. And that’s been true in my case.”

While he ended up working in the United States and becoming a citizen there, it is worth noting that Thomas is a product of Australian education: he received two mechanical engineering degrees (including his Ph.D.) at the University of Adelaide.

Paul Desmond Scully-Power (right) with fellow STS-41 astronaut Marc Garneau, a Canadian. Credit: NASA

Another Australian graduate was Paul Desmond Scully-Power, who flew into space aboard STS-41G Challenger. A graduate of the University of Sydney, he also began the first oceanographic group for the Royal Australian Navy.

Upon realizing that it’s been eight years since an Australian has been in space, and that few of the country have made it there, it might be natural for some to worry about whether one will make it again there soon.

There are initiatives within the country, however, to continue promoting educational opportunities that could one day set up students for that career path. One prominent example is Young Astronauts Space Schools Australia, a network focusing on both space and science education. Even if the path does not lead to space, there are opportunities in the country to perform astronomy and other forms of space science.

WhiteKnightTwo, the carrier craft aiming to eventually bring Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo into space. Credit: D. Miller/Wikimedia Commons

But with no Australian professional astronauts currently bound for space, it’s quite possible the next person from the country to make it into orbit will be one paying for a ticket aboard a private spaceship. Virgin Galactic is expected to fly its first flights in 2014, and XCOR is projecting flights in the next couple of years as well.

Hundreds of people have expressed a willingness to climb on board these flights, and there are at least eight companies in Australia willing to help you buy that ticket.

Perhaps the next Australian in space will be a “tourist”. This could be a business person who has spent their lifetime building up products in the country. Or perhaps they are simply an ordinary person who stashed away thousands of dollars in savings for what was an impossible dream a few years ago, but seems closer than ever today.

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-06-21 00:32:31). Could The Next Australian In Space Be A Paying Tourist?. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 28, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/could-the-next-australian-in-space-be-a-paying-tourist/

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The Value of Astronaut Photography of Earth

Elizabeth Howell — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:08:12 +0000

A brushfire near Burrinjuck Dam in New South Wales, Australia. Credit: Chris Hadfield/NASA

Earthlings were spoiled when Chris Hadfield turned his camera to Earth. The astronaut, just returned in May from a five-month mission to the International Space Station, uploaded dozens of pictures of Australia to his Twitter feed and other social networks.

His observations ranged from the whimsical — “Jackson Pollock would have been even further inspired by seeing the Outback from orbit” — to scientific: “Another of the Australian bushfires, this one near Burrinjuck Dam. Look closely and you can see the flames from orbit.”

While the pictures may have appeared to be taken at random, astronauts receive serious training in photography before undertaking any flight to the International Space Station.

Their role as Earth ambassadors in orbit extends to also keeping watch over the planet. If their orbital track passes over a hurricane that threatens the Australian basin, or Outback fires that are threatening a town, NASA will request the astronauts take photos to assist Earthly emergency responders. Astronauts also take note of long-term changes in Earth’s environment.

Science and disaster management

Hurricane Earl near Puerto Rico in August 2010, as seen from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

The first astronaut photos took place along with the beginning of the space program. Both Soviet and American astronauts snapped pictures in the 1960s using small, handheld cameras. Photography took on a more serious role as missions progressed, perhaps most notably in the Apollo moon mission era of 1968-1972. Geologists on Earth depended on astronauts’ photography of features on the moon to help identify the context in which rocks appeared.

Closer to Earth, however, astronauts play an important supplemental role in capturing images. There are many Earth-gazing satellites that orbit overhead, but sometimes their ground tracks — the path their spacecraft takes over the planet — do not fly over, say, a volcanic eruption soon enough.

Also, satellites are preprogrammed machines that can only be altered with a great cost of time and effort. With astronauts, however, changing their program is a simple radio call away from a ground control center.

NASA’s Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth website features thousands upon thousands of images taken by astronauts in its various programs. With the International Space Station now the agency’s main focus, the images can be taken by astronauts of any nationality — not just American. The space station partners ensure their respective astronauts receive instructions on how to observe the oceans, the environment and the weather from their orbital perch.

Next, when the astronauts are in orbit, scientists will send along a list of photographic targets, NASA stated on its astronaut photography website.

“Messages are routinely sent to the station crew members listing the best opportunities for photographing target site areas,” the agency wrote. “The sites include major deltas in South and East Asia, coral reefs, major cities, smog over industrial regions, areas that typically experience floods or droughts triggered by El Nino cycles, alpine glaciers, long-term ecological research sites, tectonic structures, and features on Earth, such as impact craters, that are analogous to structures on Mars.

Scientific results from orbit

Cite this article:
Howell E (2013-06-14 06:08:12). The Value of Astronaut Photography of Earth. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 28, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/space/the-value-of-astronaut-photography-of-earth/

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