Advantages of the International Space Station for Geological Studies: Lessons from Mir And MOMS-2P

Robert J., Stern and Mohamed G. Abdelsalam, Geosciences Dept., UT Dallas, Box 830688, Richardson TX 75083-0688, rjstern@utdallas.edu; Michael Beyth, Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel; and Johann Bodechtel, Institute of General and Applied Geology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.

The International Space Station (ISS) promises unparalleled opportunities for studying the surface of the unsubmerged earth between 51.6 degrees N and S latitude. Although much of the earth's surface cannot be imaged, those areas that can be observed will benefit from the much lower altitude of ISS (380-390km) compared to ca. 700-850 km altitude of most remote sensing satellites. Earth observations from ISS should include both astronaut photography from the U.S. Laboratory Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) as well as instrument packages such as multispectral- and hyperspectral-scanners sensitive to reflected visible and near infrared (VNIR) energy and thermal infrared energy. The much lower orbit of ISS means that similar passive imaging technologies can result in much better spatial or spectral resolution. As an example of this, we compare VNIR images over northern Ethiopia acquired by LANDSAT-5 Thematic Mapper (TM; 705 km) and by the Modular Optoelectric Multispectral Stereo Scanner (MOMS-2P) carried on the Russian space station MIR (38-390 km). The four multispectral bands of MOMS-2P data are comparable in their position in the electromagnetic spectrum to TM bands 1 to 4 but are considerably narrower (35-60 nm wide for MOMS-2P vs. 60-140 nm for TM). Comparing these images indicates that both vertical (Neoproterzoic Mai Kendai synform and associated NE-trending dextral faults) and horizontal features (mesas composed of Phanerzoic sediments) are much better imaged with MOMS-2P than LANDSAT-TM, confirming the expectation that there would be significant improvements in resolution for VNIR imaging instruments if these were placed in ISS. A second important benefit of ISS for earth observations is the ability of trained astronauts on a suitably-equipped platform to respond rapidly to unexpected changes on the earth's surface. At present this is handled via astronaut photography but more advanced technologies should be modified to be 'pointable' by ISS astronauts so that a more complete range of spectral information can be obtained. Mounting an instrument similar to the 220-channel 'Hyperion' hyperspectral imager on ISS would provide a powerful way to respond to unexpected geological events.

GSA Topical Session Titles

	Recommended Citation: Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center. "The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth." () . Send questions or comments to the NASA Responsible Official at jsc-earthweb@mail.nasa.gov Curator: Earth Sciences Web Team Notices: Web Accessibility and Policy Notices, NASA Web Privacy Policy Last Update: