NASA A Researcher’s Guide to International Space Station : Earth Observations

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
A Researcher’s Guide to:
Earth Observations

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This International Space Station (ISS) Researcher’s Guide is published by
the NASA ISS Program Science Office.
Authors:
William L. Stefanov, Ph.D.
Lindsey A. Jones
Atalanda K. Cameron
Lisa A. Vanderbloemen, Ph.D
Cynthia A. Evans, Ph.D.
Executive Editor: Bryan Dansberry
Technical Editor: Carrie Gilder
Designer: Cory Duke
Published: June 11, 2013
Revision: January 2020
Cover and back cover:
a.
Photograph of the Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility (JEM-EF). This photo was taken
using External High Definition Camera (EHDC) 1 during Expedition 56 on June 4, 2018.
b.
Photograph of the Momotombo Volcano taken on July 10, 2018. This active stratovolcano is located
in western Nicaragua and was described as “the smoking terror” in 1902. The geothermal field that
surrounds this volcano creates ideal conditions to produce thermal renewable energy.
c.
Photograph of the Betsiboka River Delta in Madagascar taken on June 29, 2018. This river is
comprised of interwoven channels carrying sediment from the mountains into Bombetoka Bay and
the Mozambique Channel. The heavy islands of built-up sediment were formed as a result of heavy
deforestation on Madagascar since the 1950s.

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The Lab is Open
Orbiting the Earth at almost 5 miles per second, a structure exists that is
nearly the size of a football field and weighs almost a million pounds. The
International Space Station (ISS) is a testament to international cooperation
and significant achievements in engineering. Beyond all of this, the ISS is a
truly unique research platform. The possibilities of what can be discovered
by conducting research on the ISS are endless and have the potential to
contribute to the greater good of life on Earth and inspire generations of
researchers to come.
As we fully utilize ISS as an international laboratory, now is the time
for investigators to propose new research and to make discoveries
unveiling novel responses that cannot be defined using traditional
approaches on Earth.
These circular star trails and the rainbow of colorful lights on the Earth below them were created by combining 18
images with prolonged exposures into a composite photo. The bluish-white specks in the foreground that appear similar to
balls of cotton are lightning from storms on Earth. This image depicts one of the many creative ways users of the International
Space Station can observe the wonder of the Earth below, the vast expanse of space and its many stars beyond. From this
vantage point, we seek to understand the origins and composition of our universe.

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5
Unique Features of the ISS
Research Environment
1.
Microgravity, or weightlessness, alters many observable phenomena
within the physical and life sciences. Systems and processes affected by
microgravity include surface wetting and interfacial tension, multiphase
flow and heat transfer, multiphase system dynamics, solidification, and
fire phenomena and combustion. Microgravity induces a vast array of
changes in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans, including global
alterations in gene expression and three-dimensional aggregation of cells
into tissue-like architecture.
2.
Extreme conditions in the ISS environment include exposure to extreme
heat and cold cycling, ultra-vacuum, atomic oxygen, and high-energy
radiation. Testing and qualification of materials exposed to these extreme
conditions have provided data to enable the manufacturing of long-
life reliable components used on Earth as well as in the world’s most
sophisticated satellite and spacecraft components.
3.
Low-Earth orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination with a 90-minute orbit
affords the ISS a unique vantage point with an altitude of approximately
249 miles (400 kilometers) and an orbital path over 90 percent of the
Earth’s population. This flight path can provide improved spatial resolution
and variable lighting conditions compared to the sun-synchronous orbits
of typical Earth remote-sensing satellites.

Table of Contents
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Why Use ISS as a Remote Sensing Platform? 7
Advantages and Challenges to Earth Observations from the ISS 8
ISS Orbital Parameters 9
Results from Past Research 10
Early Remote Sensing from Crew-Tended Platforms (pre-ISS) 10
Earth Science Research on ISS 11
Opportunities for Research 12
Current Payloads 12
Internal Payloads 12
External Payloads 15
Planned Future Payloads 21
Completed Payloads 22
Future Earth-Observing Sensors 30
Operational Support 31
Lessons Learned 33
Facilities 38
ISS Windows 39
Internal Facilities 40
External Facilities 41
ISS Pointing, Interface, and Environmental Information 46
Funding, Developing and Launching Research to ISS 47
National Funding Sources 47
NASA SMD (ROSES) 47
NASA SMD EXPLORER/SALMON 47
NASA SMD Earth Venture (EV) 48
ISS U.S. National Laboratory 48
Other Government Agencies 49
International Funding Sources 49
Citations 50
Acronyms 53

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Why Use ISS as a Remote
Sensing Platform?
According to the current Science Plan for the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate, the following are the priority
Science Questions and Goals for Earth Science.
Science Questions
• How is the global Earth system changing?
• What causes these changes in the Earth system?
• How will the Earth system change in the future?
• How can Earth system science provide societal benefit?
Science Goals
•
Advance the understanding of changes in the Earth’s radiation balance, air
quality and the ozone layer that result from changes in atmospheric composition
(Atmospheric Composition)
•
Improve the capability to predict weather and extreme weather events (Weather)
•
Detect and predict changes in Earth’s ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles,
including land cover, biodiversity, and the global carbon cycle (Carbon Cycle
and Ecosystems)
•
Enable better assessment and management of water quality and quantity to
accurately predict how the global water cycle evolves in response to climate change
(Water and Energy Cycle)
•
Improve the ability to predict climate changes by better understanding the roles
and interactions of the ocean, atmosphere, land and ice in the climate system
(Climate Variability and Change)
•
Characterize the dynamics of Earth’s surface and interior, improving the
capability to assess and respond to natural hazards and extreme events
(Earth Surface and Interior)
•
Further the use of Earth system science research to inform decisions and provide
benefits to society
The Earth is a complex, dynamic system we do not yet fully understand. The Earth
system, like the human body, is comprised of diverse components that interact in
complex ways. In order to answer the above questions and address the objectives,
we need to understand the Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere,
cryosphere, and biosphere as contributing elements of a single connected system.
Our planet is changing on all spatial and temporal scales. The purpose of NASA’s

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Earth science program is to advance our scientific understanding of Earth as a
system and its response to natural and human-induced changes and to improve our
ability to predict climate, weather, and natural hazards.
A major component of NASA’s Earth Science Division is a coordinated series of
satellite and airborne missions for long-term global observations of the land surface,
biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans. This systematic approach allows
for a better understanding of the Earth as an integrated system. NASA continues
to develop and launch foundational missions, new decadal survey missions, and
Climate Continuity missions. The ISS provides unique capabilities and offers new
opportunities for remote-sensing research and applications.
Advantages and Challenges to Earth Observations from the ISS
While NASA and other space agencies have had remote-sensing systems orbiting
Earth and collecting publically available data since the early 1970s, these sensors
have been primarily carried aboard free-flying unmanned satellites. These satellites
have typically been placed into sun-synchronous polar orbits that allow for repeat
imaging of the entire surface of the Earth with approximately the same sun
illumination (typically local solar noon) over specific areas with set revisit times.
This data collection process allows uniform data to be taken over long time periods
and enables straightforward analysis of change over time.
The ISS is a remote sensing platform that is unique from several perspectives: unlike
automated remote-sensing platforms, it has a human crew, a low-orbit altitude, and
orbital parameters that provide variable views and lighting. The presence of a crew
provides options not available to robotic sensors and platforms such as the ability
to collect unscheduled data of an unfolding event using handheld digital cameras
as part of the Crew Earth Observations facility and real-time assessment of whether
environmental conditions (such as cloud cover) are favorable for data collection.
The crew can also swap out internal sensor systems and payloads installed in the
Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) on an as-needed basis.

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ISS Orbital Parameters
The ISS has an inclined, sun-asynchronous orbit (the solar illumination for data
collection over any location changes as the Earth’s orbit precesses) that carries it
over locations on the Earth between the latitudes 51.6 degrees North and 51.6
degrees South.
The ISS orbit has an average altitude of 400 km (about 249 miles) above sea level.
Because of atmospheric drag, reboosting of the ISS to maximum altitude is required
approximately every 90 days. Due to the westward precession of orbit tracks, the
ISS has an approximate repeat time over the same location every three to four days
with similar lighting conditions repeated on an approximately 63-day cycle at the
equator, not correcting for seasonal lighting shifts (Stefanov et al. 2017).
The ISS orbit covers over 90 percent of the inhabited surface of the Earth and
allows the ISS to pass over ground locations at different times of the day and night.
This orbital plane is important for two main reasons:
1)
Certain surface and atmospheric processes
have time variable characteristics that
change throughout the day or occur at
times other than a fixed equator crossing
time (for example, development of coastal
fog banks), making relevant data difficult
to collect from sun-synchronous satellite
platforms.
2)
With the appropriate targeting or
pointing systems, the ISS orbit provides
opportunities for sensors to collect data
for short-duration events, such as natural
disasters, that polar-orbiting satellites may
miss because of their orbital dynamics.
ISS
Most NASA satellites orbit over the poles, but the
International Space Station’s orbit is inclined 51.6°,
which allows for imaging of approximately 90 percent
of the Earth’s populated surface. Shuttle missions
launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center often
launched with a 28.5° inclination. In essence, the ISS can be “in the right
place and at the right time” to collect data
(Stefanov and Evans 2015; Gebelein and Eppler 2007). These capabilities enable
ISS data to be complimentary to polar-orbiting satellite data.

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Results from Past Research
Early Remote Sensing from Crew-Tended Platforms (pre-ISS)
NASA has a long legacy of remote sensing from space over more than 50 years.
During the unmanned Mercury test flights of the late 1950s, hundreds of
photographs were taken and have proven useful to the scientific community.
In the early 1960s, approximately 55 handheld photographs were taken during
the four manned Mercury flights. During the 10 manned flights of the Gemini
Program (1963-1966), about 2,400 photos were taken. During the Apollo Program
(1961-1972), stereoscopic frames were taken from space for the first time.
During the Apollo missions, investigators also verified the concept of applying
multi-spectral, multi-temporal imagery from space to vegetation mapping and
to the monitoring of land use. During the three manned Skylab missions (1973-
1974), Earth resources research efforts were performed. The Earth Resources
Experiment Package (EREP) consisted of a complex set of tests involving
multiple onboard instruments (cameras, a multispectral scanner, spectrometer,
and microwave devices) in conjunction with field investigations and aerial
remote-sensing flights and hundreds of scientists (Amsbury 1989). These efforts led
directly to the development of unmanned satellite-based remote-sensing systems
(e.g., the Landsat series) that continue to form the core of NASA’s ability to
examine and monitor the Earth system from space (Green and Jackson 2009).
During the Space Shuttle Program (1981-2011), space photography continued in
addition to other scientific experiments. On two missions (April/October 1994),
the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band (SIR-C/X) Synthetic Aperture Radar
(SAR) was flown. This was the most advanced civilian SAR ever built, providing
the first multi-frequency data sets from space. The data provided a wealth of
information about the Earth’s changing environment while opening up new areas
of potential use for spaceborne imaging radar data to include natural-hazard
assessments. On February 11, 2000, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission
(SRTM) payload aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour launched into space. SRTM
acquired enough data during its 10 days of operation to obtain the first-ever,
near-global, high-resolution dataset of the Earth’s topography, covering nearly
80 percent of the Earth’s land surface (Farr et al. 2007).
The Shuttle-Mir (1995-1998) Program was a collaborative program between the
United States and the USSR/Russia. During its nine missions, over 22,000 Earth
images were taken that documented long-term study sites and dynamic events on
the Earth’s surface. These events included land use change, seasonal change and
long-term climate change, atmospheric events, ocean and coastal dynamic features,
volcanoes, and cities/regional sites (Evans, et al. 2000; Stefanov, et al. 2017).

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Earth Science Research on ISS
The ISS was first inhabited in November 2000. This laboratory in space has
continuously grown and supports multi-discipline research.
In 2009, a significant space exploration goal was reached when the number of
astronauts capable of living aboard the ISS increased from three to six. In 2011,
the assembly of the ISS was completed. Since then, the time spent performing
ISS research has continuously increased. ISS laboratories now accommodate an
unprecedented amount of space-based research with new and exciting capabilities
being continuously proposed and developed. This Earth-orbiting laboratory
and living facility houses astronauts who continuously conduct science across a
wide variety of fields including the Earth sciences. In addition to crew-tended
experiments, the ISS also provides a variety of internal and external mounting
locations, and common data transfer and power interfaces, that facilitate its use for
automated remote-sensing systems.
For up-to-date information regarding ISS research activities and accomplishments
(including Earth science), please visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/
research/experiments/explorer/.

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Opportunities for Research
The International Space Station (ISS) provides a unique platform to view and study
the Earth from space by supporting crew-operated and ground-commanded sensor
systems. Multiple instruments, both mounted externally and operated from inside the
Station, are used to collect data on the Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land surface.
This Researcher’s Guide includes information on past, current, and planned ISS
Earth observation systems. We have included citations to published results, reports,
presentations, etc. when relevant and available, but for some systems, including
those newly operational or still in planning and development phase, no citable
material was available at the time of printing. A list of resources used to develop this
information is provided in the Citations section of this Guide. The most updated
account of current, completed, and future payloads can be found on the Earth
Science and Remote Sensing Missions on ISS site: https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/esrs/
ISS_Remote_Sensing_Systems/.
Current Payloads
Internal Payloads
Image captures multiple wildfires burning simultaneously across the state of California on August 3, 2018. Fires burned
through 450,000 acres and damaged/destroyed up to 2,000 structures (ISS056E12669).
Crew Earth Observations (CEO), Launched November 2000
Historically, the Crew Earth Observations (CEO) program has been a major source

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of data provided by the ISS. While still an important part of the ISS, the additional
remote sensing instruments currently aboard, as well as those planned for the
future, will further enhance the opportunities for quantitative Earth remote-sensing
research and applications from the ISS. Over the past decade, CEO has increasingly
emphasized disaster response in support of the International Charter, Space and
Major Disasters (https://disasterscharter.org/home; also known as the International
Disaster Charter, or IDC), and the agency’s Earth Science Disasters Program.
Additional capabilities of CEO include high-resolution nighttime imagery of urban
and suburban areas, and time-lapse sequence imagery of atmospheric phenomena
such as airglow and aurora.
Nighttime view of Bangkok, Thailand, from the International Space Station in December 2017. The Andaman Sea and Gulf of
Thailand are illuminated by hundreds of green lights used by fishermen to attract plankton and fish (ISS053E451778).
Nighttime images of cities are striking and useful for urban climate and light
pollution studies, disaster response (blackouts), modeling urban land use, and
population density. ISS photographs of cities at night are valuable because they
provide greater spatial resolution than other publically available orbital sources of
night light data. As such, city light imagery from the ISS complements coarser spatial
resolution data from other sensors.

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The CEO program involves crew members using professional-grade commercial
off-the-shelf (COTS) handheld digital cameras with a suite of lenses (from wide
angle to a 1600-mm lens equivalent) to take Earth observation photographs that
support research and applications in a wide variety of Earth Science disciplines,
including disaster response. Scientists on the ground train the crew in areas of basic
Earth system science and provide the crew a daily list of targets focused on dynamic
events (such as IDC activations), educational outreach, and approved science
targets. Crew members take these photographs on a “task-listed” basis, meaning that
collection of imagery is at the crew’s discretion based on other scheduled priorities
during their work day.
These digital photographs are downlinked, their location identified and both images
and meta-data are assimilated into a public database, the Gateway to Astronaut
Photography of Earth (https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov). The website also features searchable
access to all the photographs and a public cataloging facility.
The images can be used as educational and research tools, as well as historical records
of global environmental changes, geological and weather events, and the growth
and change of human-made features such as cities. Analyses using CEO data have
been published in scientific journals in a wide variety of disciplines. While imagery
can be collected from any available window on space station, they are currently
conducted primarily from the windows in the Russian Zvezda service module and
the ISS Cupola.
Through their photography of the Earth, ISS crew members build on the time series
of imagery started with the first human spaceflights, ensuring that this continuous
record of Earth remains unbroken.
Sally Ride EarthKAM, Launched March 2001
Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students (EarthKAM) is a NASA
educational outreach program that enables students, teachers, and the public to learn
about Earth from the unique perspective of space.
Initiated in 1995 by Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, EarthKAM
(formerly known as KidSat) involves middle school students around the world
requesting images of specific locations on Earth (Hurwicz et al. 2002). The program
collection can be found in the Sally Ride EarthKAM archive: http://images.
earthkam.org/main.php.

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Taken through a window on the International Space Station on October 31, 2017, this EarthKAM photo shows the
boundary between a major dune field and dark hills along the border between Algeria and Libya. These landscapes are among
the driest parts of the Sahara Desert (EarthKAM photo: CCFID_152293_2017304121045).
Acquired on Feb. 14, 2017, with a Nikon D2Xs digital camera
using a 50 mm lens, this photograph shows Australia’s largest
inland lake, Lake Eyre. Usually dry, Lake Eyre underwent a
change in 2017. Instead of evaporating before reaching the
lake or being absorbed by dune sand, the abundance of
rain in late 2016 reached Lake Eyre after a delay of months.
The lake is more formally known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre
(EarthKAM photo: CCFID_126465_2017038014745).
Upon request from middle school students, this EarthKAM
photo was taken on April 13, 2016, capturing dense clus-
ters of agricultural fields radiating across a large alluvial fan in
Afghanistan. Alluvial fans are fan- or cone-shaped deposits
of sediment crossed and built up by streams. People and
their crops use the majority of the water coming out of the
canyon, resulting in little water flowing off the fan (EarthKAM
photo: CCFID_103323_2016104095502).
External Payloads
High Definition Television Camera System for JEM Exposed Facility 2
(HDTV-EF2), Launched December 2016
The HDTV-EF2 is the successor system to the earlier HDTV-EF (also developed by
JAXA) that operated from 2012 to 2015. The system includes two Commercial Off

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the Shelf (COTS) video cameras, one of which is capable of 4K image resolution.
The HDTV-EF2 collects imagery of the Earth and spacecraft for public release in
support of scientific and educational purposes. The system also acquires data for
disaster response through JAXA involvement in the Sentinel Asia program (Okazaki
and Mano, 2018).
Space Test Program-H5-Lightning Imaging Sensor (STP-H5-LIS), Launched
February 2017
Based on observations from previous space-borne lightning detectors on free flying
satellites, lightning strikes somewhere on the Earth 45 times every second. Launched
in early 2017, the International Space Station LIS continues the legacy of these
lightning observations, using a sensor similar to the Tropical Rainfall Measuring
Mission (TRMM) LIS to determine the amount, rate, and energy of lightning
around the world.
The sensor can locate ground and cloud lightning strikes on a global scale while
providing researchers with real-time data to analyze. The lightning detector is a
compact combination of optical and electronic elements capable of locating and
detecting lightning within individual storms. The ISS-LIS contains a staring imager
which is optimized to locate and detect lightning with a storm-scale resolution of
4 km at nadir (directly below the instrument), increasing to 8 km at limb (at edge
of measurement region), over a large region of about 550 km of the Earth’s surface.
The Field-of-View (FOV) is sufficient to observe a point on the Earth or a cloud
for about 90 seconds with a 2 millisecond sampling frequency, adequate timing to
estimate the lightning flash rate of many storms.
Recorded data can provide an improved understanding of the nature of lightning
and its connection to the weather, serving as a foundation for understanding
atmospheric chemistry and physics, predicting weather and climate, and advancing
aircraft and spacecraft safety (Peterson, et al. 2017).
Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE-III), Launched February 2017
More than 25 years ago, scientists realized that the layer of colorless gas high above
the Earth’s surface that absorbs and protects living things from harmful ultraviolet-B
radiation is thinning. SAGE-III, a part of the SAGE sensor family responsible
for obtaining accurate measurements of ozone loss in the Earth’s atmosphere and
measuring onset ozone recovery, continues the legacy of studying the ozone layer
from the International Space Station.
The data from the original SAGE led to the discovery of a hole in the stratospheric

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ozone layer stretching across Antarctica. This
discovery led to the drafting of the Montreal
Protocol, an international agreement to protect
the ozone layer from oxygen-depleting substances.
Since ratification of the Protocol in 1988, the
ozone layer has been in recovery, and monitoring
efforts continue with SAGE-III.
This false-color map illustrates the total ozone
over the Antarctic pole in July 2019. The blue
and purple colors show the least ozone, and
the yellows and reds areas are where there is
more ozone.
Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) Spectral Solar
Irradiance (SSI) (TSIS-1), Launched December
2017
Solar radiation is the Earth’s primary source of
energy, affecting the planet’s surface structure and
atmospheric conditions. It powers Earth’s complex
and dynamic systems — interactions among the
land, oceans, and atmosphere — that maintain
the environments that humanity and other species
inhabit. When solar radiation output from the sun is in balance with the infrared
radiation the Earth emits, the climate experiences fewer fluctuations than when these
energies are imbalanced. Having the ability to monitor this energy is important to
climate science.
The TSIS-1 payload measures the total solar irradiance (TSI), which is all of the
radiant energy coming from the Sun. The solar spectral irradiance (SSI) is also
measured to determine how that energy is distributed among different wavelengths
and where in the atmosphere that energy is absorbed. This data is crucial to building
a better understanding of solar activity and how the Earth’s atmosphere responds to
changes in solar output. The TSIS-1 continues over 40 years of solar data collection
and is used to create models and simulations that can potentially enhance weather
predictions, including solar winds and geomagnetic storms. These predictions can also
help protect humans and satellites in space while enhancing radio transmissions on
the ground. Continuously monitoring solar radiation data is also important to climate
change models.
Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM), Launched April 2018
The Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) is a climate observatory on
the International Space Station that monitors transient luminous events (e.g.,
sprites, blue jets, and ELVES) and terrestrial gammas ray flashes from the external
payload platform of European Space Agency (ESA) Columbus External payload

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Facility. This payload provides a large, comprehensive survey of these transient
luminous events and terrestrial gammas ray flashes in a region of the atmosphere
within and above severe thunderstorms. The results from ASIM can improve current
atmospheric models, including predictions related to climatology, and may improve
understanding of the physics of these events and how they relate to lightning.
The ASIM contains the Miniature Multispectral Imaging Array (MMIA) and
the Data Handling and Power Unit (DHPU). The MMIA is comprised of three
separate modules, each housing two video cameras and two photometers (an
instrument used for measuring the intensity of light). Two out of three modules are
positioned in the ram direction and the other faces the nadir direction. The DHPU
establishes and maintains all electrical interfaces between ASIM and the ISS. It also
administers a data link connection and a serial line for updates and patches to its
firmware (Østgaard, et al. 2019).
NanoRacks-ISS-Hyperspectral Earth Imaging System Trial (NanoRacks-ISS-
HEIST), Launched February 2018
The NanoRacks-ISS-Hyperspectral Earth Imaging System Trial project implements
pre-existing technology to produce, launch, and operate one of the first orbital
hyperspectral sensor systems for commercial Earth observation. Smaller and less
expensive than preceding sensors, the NanoRacks-ISS-HEIST serves as a testbed for
commercial off-the-shelf components, as well as flight and camera control software
and processing and storage capabilities.
Current space-based Earth observation platforms rely on panchromatic or
multispectral sensors, which are limited to detecting only a handful of spectral bands.
This payload’s hyperspectral sensor collects hundreds of narrow spectral bands,
resulting in extremely high spectral resolution. This higher precision also allows for
monitoring of specific chemical changes and identification of material composition.
Once operational, the NanoRacks-ISS-HEIST can provide a space-based visible/
near Infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral sensing platform that can replace the
decommissioned Hyperspectral Imaging Coastal Observatory (HICO).
DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS), Launched June 2018
Developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the U.S. company
Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE), the DESIS is an environmental and resource
monitoring system. DESIS enhances the use of space-based hyperspectral (from the
visual to near infrared spectrum) imaging capabilities for Earth remote sensing while
also providing high value hyperspectral imagery for Teledyne Brown Engineering for

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commercial purposes. The scientific and commercial benefits include (as examples)
better management of agricultural and forest ecosystems, urban development, natural
and environmental disaster assessment, and humanitarian response (Eckardt, et al. 2015).
ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station
(ECOSTRESS), Launched June 2018
Plants regulate their temperatures by releasing water through tiny pores on
their leaves called stomata. If they have sufficient water, they can maintain their
temperature; but if there is insufficient water, their temperatures rise. This increase in
temperature can be measured with a sensor in space.
Installed on the Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility (JEM-EF), the
ECOSTRESS provides the first-ever high spatiotemporal (space-time) resolution
thermal infrared measurements of the surface of the Earth from the International
Space Station (ISS). These measurements allow scientists to answer questions related
to changes in water availability, how changes in daytime vegetation water stress may
affect the global carbon cycle, and how agricultural vulnerability may be reduced
through advanced monitoring of water use and improved drought estimation.
Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), Launched October 2018
Developed at NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, the
Global Ecosystem Dynamics
Investigation (GEDI) is a full-
waveform lidar instrument that
makes detailed measurements of
the 3D structure of the Earth’s
surface.
“Lidar” is an active remote-sensing technology that uses pulses of laser light
to create 3-dimensional representations of the target. These 3-dimensional
architectures, as depicted in this concept art, provide much-needed
clarification on how much carbon trees contain. Results from the data can
assist in understanding the consequences of deforestation and preparing
effective regrowth operations.
GEDI is the first spaceborne
laser instrument to measure
the structure of Earth’s
forests in high resolution and
three dimensions. GEDI’s
unprecedented precision
advances our ability to understand the impact of carbon and water cycling processes,
biodiversity, and habitat as global temperatures increase.
The surface structure information collected by GEDI also improves weather

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forecasting, monitoring of changes to glacier volume and snowpack, and
management of forest resources (Patterson, et al. 2019).
Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3), Launched May 2019
The Orbiting Carbon
Observatory–3 is a complete
stand-alone payload built
using the spare OCO-2 flight
instrument, with additional
elements added to accommodate
installation and operation
on the International Space
Station (ISS). It will investigate
important questions about
the distribution of carbon
dioxide on Earth as it relates
to growing urban populations
and changing patterns of fossil
fuel combustion. OCO-3 will
explore, for the first time, daily
variations in the release and
uptake of carbon dioxide by
plants and trees in the major tropical rain forests of South America, Africa, and
South-East Asia, the largest stores of above ground carbon on our planet.
Artist’s rendition of OCO-3 measuring the intensity of the sunlight reflected
from presence of CO2
in a column of air.
The OCO-3 instrument consists of three high-resolution grating spectrometers
that collect space-based measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2
) with
the precision, resolution, and coverage needed to assess the spatial and temporal
variability of CO2
over an annual cycle. After launch and docking with the space
station, the OCO-3 instrument will be installed on the ISS Japanese Experiment
Module – Exposed Facility (JEM-EF), where it will be operating for the duration of
the mission. The instrument will acquire data in three different measurement modes.
In Nadir Mode the instrument views the ground directly below the space station.
In Glint Mode, the instrument tracks near the location where sunlight is directly
reflected on the Earth’s surface. Glint Mode enhances the instrument’s ability
to acquire highly accurate measurements, particularly over the ocean. In Target
Mode, the instrument views a specified surface target continuously as the ISS
passes overhead. Target Mode provides the capability to collect a large number

21
of measurements over sites where ground-based and airborne instruments also
measure atmospheric CO2
. The OCO-3 science team will compare Target Mode
measurements with those acquired by ground-based and airborne instruments to
validate OCO-3 mission data. The Observatory has a planned operational life of
three years (Stavros, et al. 2017).
Planned Future Payloads
Internal Payloads
Mini Extreme Universe Space Observatory (Mini-EUSO), Launched 2019
The Mini Extreme Universe Space
Observatory is an ultraviolet
telescope set to serve as a
pathfinder for future Ultra-High-
Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR)
missions and to map UV light
emissions from Earth. The
mini-EUSO will launch and be
performing experiments in the
Russian Zvezda Service Module
of the International Space Station
in 2019.
From the vantage point of the Russian Service Module, the mini-EUSO
will be recording atmospheric components (e.g., ultraviolet rays) and
events such as meteors and cosmic ray showers. This representation
lists several other subjects under observation.
Comprised of a wide field of view
for increasing light collection, the
mini-EUSO is designed to study
atmospheric phenomena, such
as Transient Luminous Events
(TLEs), meteors and meteoroids,
the search for Strange Quark Matter (SQM), and the detection of some cosmic
ray showers.
The mini-EUSO has been approved by the Russian State Space Corporation
ROSCOSMOS and included in the “Long Term Program for Scientific Experiments
and Applied Research planned for the Russian segment on ISS,” under the name UV
Atmosphere. This project has also been approved by the Italian Space Agency (ASI)
(Capel, et al. 2018).

22
External Payloads
Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory Pathfinder (CLARREO
CPF), Launch Date 2023
The Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory Pathfinder (CPF) will
observe and measure the complete spectrum of radiation from the Sun reflected by
the Earth, providing better insight into how the planet’s cloud radiative feedback
impacts climate. The CPF will take direct measurements of the Earth’s thermal
infrared spectrum (including the far-infrared), the complete spectrum of solar
radiation reflected by the Earth and its atmosphere, and radio occultation from
which accurate temperature profiles are derived. These measurements will provide
information on critical climate parameters such as forcing mechanisms, responses,
and feedbacks associated with the vertical distribution of atmospheric temperature
and water vapor, reflected and emitted radiative fluxes, cloud properties, and surface
variables including albedo, temperature, and emissivity.
Hyperspectral Imager Suite (HISUI), Launch Date 2019
The Hyperspectral Imager Suite (HISUI) is a spaceborne hyperspectral Earth
imaging system being developed by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade,
and Industry (METI). The imager will record information in the visible through
shortwave infrared wavelengths over 185 discrete bands, with a planned spatial
resolution of 20 m x 30 m. This payload is scheduled to launch and operate
onboard the International Space Station (ISS) for a three-year investigation in
2019 to support a variety of research-oriented and commercial Earth observations
(Matsunaga, et al. 2017).
Completed Payloads
Internal Payloads
Meteor Composition Determination (METEOR), March 2016 - February 2019
Meteor spectra are commonly recorded by ground or aircraft instruments and
compared to synthetic spectra to determine elemental abundances and temperatures.
However, meteors are relatively rare and are difficult to observe from the ground
because of interference from the Earth’s atmosphere. The Meteor Composition
Determination (METEOR) mission made the first space-based observations of the
chemical composition of meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere. METEOR provided
continuous high-resolution video and images of meteor interactions with the Earth’s
atmosphere without limitations of ozone absorption.

23
METEOR’s mission objective involved flying
a visible spectroscopy instrument to the
International Space Station (ISS) to observe
meteors in Earth orbit. Southwest Research
Institute (SwRI) served as the U.S. host and
conducted this experiment on behalf of Chiba
Institute of Technology, based in Japan.
The METEOR investigation data provided the
first measurement of meteor flux and allows for
future monitoring of carbon-based compounds
in meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere.
Analyzing meteor elemental compositions is
crucial to our understanding of how planets like
our own develop.
METEOR, shown in the image above, involves
mounting a camera programmed to record
predictable showers and unpredicted Earth-meteor
interactions, in a mock-up camera in the WORF
simulator at the Johnson Space Center.
ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and
Visualization System (ISERV) Pathfinder, May
2012-September 2015
The ISS SERVIR Environmental Research
and Visualization System (ISERV) Pathfinder
was a fully automated image data acquisition
system that flew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). It was deployed in the
Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) rack within the Destiny module.
Comprised of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) camera, telescope and pointing
system that were commanded remotely from Earth by researchers at NASA’s
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, ISERV captured three images
per second that covered approximately 19 km x 11 km area each. Although the
purpose of the ISERV was to improve automatic image capturing and data transfer,
the images taken in the experiment also aided environmental scientists, disaster
responders and other Earth-based users.
The ISERV was a resource for environmental decision-making and the monitoring
of natural disasters and events that impacted the Earth’s surface. During its runtime,
ISERV supported the goals of NASA’s SERVIR (Spanish for “to serve”) project.

24
On June 2, 2014, ISERV snapped eight images of San Quintín Glacier, a landmass situated within Laguna San Rafael National
Park that drains west toward the Pacific Ocean. In the photo, hundreds of icebergs surround the glacier’s end, while a stream
flows west toward the Golfo de Peñas on the Pacific Ocean. The photo reveals the glacier experiencing massive shedding and
rapid retreating. NASA image from ISERV Pathfinder, SERVIR program.
SERVIR, a joint venture between NASA and the U.S. Agency for International
Development in Washington, provides a conglomerate system of data, models, and
information products to support and inform the environmental decision-making
process in various regions. Through its various hubs around the world, SERVIR
provides decision support mechanisms in a variety of areas such as drought and
flood monitoring, landslide probability mapping, disease incidence mapping, and air
quality and environmental condition monitoring.
Remotely sensed data acquired by orbital sensor systems such as ISERV have
become vital tools to identify the extent of damage from a natural disaster while also
providing near-real-time mapping support to response efforts on the ground and for
humanitarian aid efforts (Kansakar, et al. 2016).
International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC),
January 2011-January 2013
The International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) was active aboard the
ISS from January 2011 to January 2013. It was a multi-spectral camera installed in
the ISS as a sub-rack payload of the WORF. A single 150-mm lens and optical beam
splitter supplied light to three digital framing cameras, each with its own filter: green,
red (630-690 nm) and near infrared (780- 890 nm).
Normal payload operations were commanded via ground uplink. Commands were
stored in an on-board command queue and executed based on system time supplied
by the ISS. Imagery collected was downlinked via the medium-rate payload LAN.
The onboard command queue capability allowed autonomous 24-hour operations,
enabling routine worldwide target accessibility.

25
Comparison of Minot, N.D., and Souris River Valley
during normal river flow conditions (top image, Landsat
Thematic Mapper data) and during flood conditions
(bottom image, ISSAC data). Both images have been
processed to highlight actively photosynthesizing
vegetation in red. Urban areas appear as gray-brown.
The red and near-infrared bands within
ISSAC were similar to those used on satellite-
based broadband, multi-spectral systems used
for studying vegetation. Agricultural efficiency
and competitiveness can be enhanced through
the practical application of data products that
are derived from reflectance measurements
taken in these spectral regions. ISSAC was
focused on studying aspects of agricultural
efficiency that are of particular importance
to the northern Great Plains. These same
capabilities of ISSAC were applicable
worldwide to scientific study of any areas
undergoing rapid ecosystem change. Targets
ranged from natural systems such as glacier
melt or plant phenological transitions such as
spring green-up and fall senescence to human
impact such as deforestation and urbanization
(Olsen, et al. 2011).
The sensor also contributed to the ISS
capability to collect data for humanitarian
aid to areas struck by natural disasters through the International Charter, Space and
Major Disasters (IDC) (https://disasterscharter.org/home). The ISSAC collected data
for several IDC activations, including fires in northern Africa, flooding in Pakistan,
and the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in the U.S.
External Payloads
High Definition Earth-Viewing System (HDEV), March 2014 – August 2019
On the left is a picture of the HDEV system attached to the European Space Agency Columbus External Payload Facility.
On the right is a snapshot of footage from the HDEV, capturing a view of Tropical Storm Leslie. The storm struck the Iberian
Peninsula and the East Cost of the United States in September and October 2018.

26
The High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) investigation used four commercially
available HD cameras mounted on the Columbus External Facility to live stream
video of Earth for online viewing. The cameras were enclosed in a temperature-
specific housing and were exposed to the harsh radiation of space. While the
HDEV collected beautiful images of the Earth from the ISS, the primary purpose
of the experiment was an engineering one: monitoring the rate at which HD video
camera image quality degraded when exposed to the space environment (mainly
from cosmic ray damage) and verifying the effectiveness of the design of the HDEV
housing for thermal control.
The HDEV cameras were a fixed payload system with no zoom, pan or tilt
mechanisms. The four fixed cameras were targeted for imagery of the Earth’s surface
as seen from the ISS (i.e., one camera pointing forward into the station’s velocity
vector, two cameras pointing aft [wake], and the remaining camera pointing nadir).
The video imagery was encoded into an Ethernet-compatible format for transmission
to the ground and further distribution. In this format, the video could be viewed
from any computer connected to the internet.
The HDEV operated one camera at a time. The forward-facing camera was powered
first, followed by the nadir and each aft-facing camera, such that the HDEV video
would “follow” a location on the Earth as the ISS passed overhead. This auto-cycle
mode of the HDEV did not require input from ground operators.
Alternately, the HDEV video could be commanded by ground controllers when
desired. Ground operators had the choice to change the cycle of the images noted
in the auto-cycle mode, changing either which cameras were powered or the length
of time they were powered. If desired, ground controllers could command a single
camera to remain powered on and for no auto-cycle to take place (Schultz, et al.
2017). Footage was streamed live from the HDEV cameras and could be viewed by
the public via a website.
The “Columbus Eye” project, developed by the University of Bonn and sponsored
by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Space Administration, involved receiving,
archiving, and preparing imagery from the HDEV investigation for educational
purposes. Students could observe Earth from an astronaut’s perspective while
applying remote sensing analysis tools using the High Definition Earth Viewing
(HDEV) camera. The Columbus Eye video archive and HDEV project highlights
are freely available at the Columbus Eye portal www.columbuseye.uni-bonn.de.

27
Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS), January 2015-October 2017
The Cloud-Aerosol
Transport System (CATS),
launched and mounted on
the Japanese Experiment
Module-Exposed Facility
(JEM-EF) in 2015, was
a high spectral resolution
LiDAR (Light Detection
and Ranging) that
used a laser to gather
profile measurements
of atmospheric aerosols
and clouds from the
International Space
Station. Aerosols are tiny particles in the atmosphere and include dust from deserts,
sea salt, smoke from wildfires, sulfurous particles from volcanic eruptions, and
pollution. Clouds and aerosols play an important role in the planet’s climate system
and air quality.
Above is a cross-section of the atmosphere over Africa recorded by the Cloud-Aerosol
Transport System (CATS). Cirrus Clouds, dust, smoke from fires, and topography were
tracked diagonally from Morocco to South of Madagascar.
Similar instruments on existing satellites such as the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and
Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) can detect aerosol plumes
but cannot determine their composition. CATS better detected aerosol particle
properties, allowing researchers to better determine plume components and improve
studies of aerosol transport and cloud motion. The results provided direct evidence
that space-based LiDAR detection at 1064 nm is more representative of true above-
cloud aerosols compared to 532 nm (Yorks, et al. 2016).
International Space Station-RapidScat (ISS-RapidScat), September
2014-November 2016
Launched in September 2014, the International Space Station-RapidScat (ISS-
RapidScat) was a cost-effective replacement for NASA’s QuikScat Earth satellite
(1999-2009), which provided valuable data on ocean winds and revolutionized
environmental predictions and weather forecasting. After QuikScat stopped
collecting data, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the agency’s Station program
designed a replacement that used the framework of the International Space Station
and reused hardware originally built for the QuikScat: the ISS-RapidScat.

28
On October 23, 2015, NASA’s ISS-RapidScat passed over Hurricane
Patricia, a Category 5 tropical cyclone that struck Texas, Mexico, and
Central America. RapidScat measured ocean surface, wind speed,
mapping hurricane movements and enabling weather forecasters and
other researchers to predict how these storms evolve over time. Image
credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The RapidScat instrument
monitored ocean winds from
the unique vantage point of
the space station in real-time.
Tracking ocean winds helps in
determining regional weather
patterns: information crucial to
effective weather forecasting.
Its measurements of wind speed
and direction over the ocean
surface were used by agencies
nationwide for weather and
marine forecasting as well as
for monitoring hurricanes and
tropical cyclones.
The first of its kind on Station,
ISS-RapidScat kept a close eye
on ocean winds in remote areas,
helping researchers become more
knowledgeable of fundamental
weather and climate processes, such as how tropical weather systems manifest and
evolve.
Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES),
March 2009-September 2014
The ozone layer is the Earth’s spacesuit, protecting the ecosystem and the human
population by absorbing the Sun’s most harmful ultraviolet rays. However, manmade
pollutants such as Freon gas have been destroying the ozone layer. Freon, which
has been used as refrigerants for refrigerators and air conditioners, dissolves in the
stratosphere and turns into ozone-destructive substances.
Measuring the atmospheric ozone and its chemical composition is crucial for
understanding the ozone layer depletion. The Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave
Limb Emission Sounder (SMILES) was a sensitive submillimeter sounder designed
to globally map stratospheric gases. During its investigation, SMILES provided
scientists with the opportunity to analyze atmospheric phenomena in unprecedented
detail and served as a valuable tool to prove the accuracy of climate models.

29
Comparing SMILES data with other sources showed an agreement of stratospheric
ozone in the mesosphere and at high altitudes of 45 miles. However, SMILES data
quality was found to be poor in low altitudes.
SMILES data also showed ozone loss at various altitudes inside the polar vortex for
the Arctic winter. Measuring chemicals, such as chlorine monoxide radical (ClO),
hydroxyl radical (HO2
), hydrochloric acid (HCl) and Hypochlorous acid (HOCl)
in the middle atmospheric, SMILES gave the first global observations of the diurnal
variations of hypochlorous acid in the upper atmosphere (Kikuchi, et al. 2010).
Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO), March 2009–Fall 2014
The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) was
an imaging spectrometer based on the Portable Hyperspectral
Imager for Low-Light Spectroscopy (PHILLS) airborne
imaging spectrometers (Corson, et al. 2008). It was launched
to the ISS in 2009, mounted on the Japanese Experiment
Module-Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) for operations, and
integrated with the Remote Atmosphere and Ionospheric
Detection Systems (RAIDS) to form the HICO and RAIDS
Experiment Payload (HREP).
The RAIDS device measured the thermosphere, which creates
atmospheric drag on space vehicles and satellites and is
affected by solar activity. RAIDS also studied the ionosphere,
which has a strong influence on radio, radar, and satellite
navigation signals. Imagery captured during HREP’s five-year
mission provided new data about how sunlight, cloud cover
and different viewing angles can affect images taken in low-
Earth orbit.
This image of the Acqua
Alta Oceanographic Tower in
Italy was taken by the HICO on
March 7, 2014. Data from HICO
is analyzed to find bathymetry
and water optical properties.
HICO was the first spaceborne imaging spectrometer designed
to sample the coastal ocean. HICO sampled selected regions
at approximately 90 m Ground Sample Distance (GSD) with
full spectral coverage (400 to 900 nm sampled at 5.7 nm)
and signal-to-noise ratio sufficiently high to resolve the
complexity of the coastal ocean. Scientists from U.S. agencies,
U.S. commercial interests, ISS International Partners, and
academia, both U.S. and international, expressed interest in
receiving and using HICO data to develop new algorithms
and to study coastal ocean dynamics.

30
The primary mission of HICO as an ISS sensor was to provide hyperspectral remote-
sensing data to U.S. users to benefit the nation, expand and extend the applications
of hyperspectral data from orbit, and meet NASA science goals from the Earth
Science Decadal Survey. During its five-year investigation, HICO demonstrated
the capability for retrieval of coastal ocean depth, chlorophyll content, sea floor
composition and water visibility, which are vital for rapid and safe maneuvers in
coastal environments (Huemmrich, et al. 2017).
Future Earth-Observing Sensors
The ISS U.S. National Laboratory, formerly known as the Center for the
Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), in conjunction with NASA, continues
to solicit new sensors that efficiently take advantage of the station as a remote-
sensing platform. Technologies for multispectral and hyperspectral sensors as well
as active radar and LiDAR systems continue to advance, providing both instrument
developers and end-users with new opportunities in research and applications of
remotely sensed data. In addition, international partners such as Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA), European Space Agency (ESA) and ROSCOSMOS are
planning to launch new sensors and perform experiments in the coming years.

31
Operational Support
H-II Launch Control
Tanegashima , Japan
JEM HTV
Control Center and
Crew Training
Tsukuba, Japan
JAXA Headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
Roscosmos Headquarters
Moscow, Russia
Gagarin Cosmonaut
Training Center (GCTC)
Star City, Russia
Russian Launch Control
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur, Kazakhstan
ISS Mission Control
Korolev, Russia
ESA Headquarters
Paris, France
Columbus Control Center
Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
European Astronaut Centre
Cologne, Germany
ESA European Space Research and
Technology Centre (ESTEC)
Noordwijk, Netherlands
NASA Headquarters
Washington D.C., U.S.
Launch Control
Kennedy Space Center
Florida, U.S.
Payload Operations Center
Marshall Space Flight Center
HUntsville, Alabama, U.S.
ISS Training
Program Management
Mission Control
Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Telescience Support Center
Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, California, U.S.
Telescience Support Center
Glenn Research Center
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
CSA Headquarters
Mobile Servicing System Control and Training
Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada
The overall management and control of the International Space Station is spread over four continents—North America,
Europe, Russia, and Asia. Each international center communicates and works together 24/7 to keep the orbiting laboratory
running, the crew safe, and the science ongoing.
The ISS and payload operations are supported by different mission control centers
(MCCs). The prime operational mission control center is split between MCC in
Houston, Texas, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC), and the Russian Control
Center near Moscow, Russia. Payload support is provided primarily through
the Payload Operations and Integration Center (POIC) at NASA’s Marshall Space
Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL, with additional payload support
provided by JSC and at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Additionally,
international partners maintain control centers in Germany (the Columbus
Control center near Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany); the Tskuba Space Center
(TKSU) in Japan; the Canadian Space Agency Mission Control Center (CSA-
MCC), in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada; and the CSA-Payloads Telescience
Operations Center (PTOC), in St. Hubert, Quebec, Canada.
The MSFC POIC coordinates all U.S. scientific and commercial experiments
on the station, synchronizes payload activities of international partners and
directs communications between researchers around the world and their onboard
experiments. The Payload Operations Center integrates research requirements,
planning science missions and ensuring that they are safely executed. It integrates
crew and ground team training and research mission timelines. It also manages
use of space station payload resources, handles science communications with the

32
crew, and manages commanding and data transmissions to and from the orbiting
research center.
The Payload Operations Center processes hundreds of payload commands per
day. It also continuously monitors the health and status of scientific instruments
deployed on the space station. Since 2001, thousands of investigations have been
completed. Following space station assembly completion in 2011, more crew time
has been devoted to science activities. The POIC is staffed around the clock by
three shifts of flight controllers to help the crew as they conduct more and more
science investigations.
In addition, staff and facilities at the JSC help support Earth Observation payloads
through the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit (ESRS) within NASA JSC’s
Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division in the Exploration
Integration Science Directorate. The purpose of the Astromaterials Division is to
combine advancements in science and technology to push human space exploration
forward, to apply planetary research, and to develop mitigation methods to establish
successful space travel. The ESRS Unit supports space-based remote sensing from
the ISS and participates in disaster response initiatives.
The ESRS includes the CEO group responsible for generating image target lists
for the ISS crew, reviewing all imagery acquired, cataloging the processed imagery,
and providing all imagery to the public via the Gateway to Astronaut Photography
of Earth website: https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/. In addition, the CEO staff provides
crew training, produces varied proposals for scientific research, and serves as an
important conduit for public outreach for both the ISS Program and NASA in
general. The ESRS also coordinates disaster response from the ISS through the
NASA Earth Science Disasters Program (https://disasters.nasa.gov) in cooperation
with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and serves as a general remote-
sensing resource for additional Earth science payloads, both present and future,
within the ISS Program.
Launch services for the ISS are supplied by several sources, including Space
X (Falcon 9 and Dragon), Northrop Grumman (Antares and Cygnus), JAXA
(HTV), and ROSCOSMOS (Progress and Soyuz). In collaboration with NASA’s
Commercial Crew Program, aircraft manufacturing company Boeing is developing
their Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner spacecraft intended for low-
Earth orbit (LEO) missions.

33
Lessons Learned
As an orbital, Earth-viewing platform, success or failure in collecting data is
dependent on several factors both internal and external to the ISS. Cloud cover
can frequently preclude useful data collection by optical sensors over some parts of
the Earth; likewise the ISS orbit and seasonal variations can limit the availability
of sufficient illumination of ground targets. For human-tended systems, limiting
constraints involve not only the environmental viewing constraints, but also
limitations imposed by the crew’s work schedule, including the time required for
payload installation and trade-outs. Data downlink capacity also must be carefully
evaluated when planning to use instruments or measurements with high data
volume observations and time- sensitive data collection.
Precision targeting from the WORF was an issue for ISSAC because of its inability
to access the full temporal resolution ISS position feed (1 Hz). There were similar
issues with ISERV and HICO regarding the focus of their telescopes and cameras,
as well as data downlinking capabilities and automated geolocation of imagery.
These are potential issues payload designers should take into consideration during
the development phase of their instruments. The ISS operational and design
community actively engages with payload developers to find solutions for these and
other platform-specific issues.
Data from SAGE III observations of the Dragon cargo vehicle visiting the ISS from June 2017 to January 2018. Results show
higher than anticipated contamination levels. The Space Environments Team uses these data to develop an improved under-
standing of the causes of these high contamination levels.

34
Molecular contamination as a result of visiting vehicles and external payloads can
negatively impact performance, mission success, and science utilization. Examples
of contamination include outgassing, vacuum leakage, and thruster plume-
induced contamination. As the ISS has become a platform for numerous external
and internal remote sensing instruments, characterization of the contamination
environment and potential risks to sensor systems has become a priority.
Following the arrival of the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III
(SAGE III) in 2017, the ISS gained a new capability in active contamination
monitoring. SAGE III measures the Earth’s ozone and other gases and aerosols
in the atmosphere through “limb scattering” of solar radiation. Equipped with
eight Thermoelectric Quartz Crystal Microbalances (TQCMs), SAGE III TQCM
data indicates that the majority of ISS permanent modules and visiting vehicles
make minimal contributions to contamination. The TQCMs also measured
elevated outgassing associated with the docked Dragon cargo vehicle, prompting
the Space Environments Team of the ISS Program Office to revise contamination
identification methods, visiting vehicle requirements, and contamination models
based on SAGE III data. The ISS Program is working with SpaceX to mitigate
contamination from future visiting Dragon spacecraft.

35
Clouds over the Crozet Islands. The Crozet Islands are a part of an archipelago in the Southern Indian Ocean near Antarctica.
These islands have dramatic relief against the surrounding oceans, rising over 2500 ft above sea level. Wind traveling across
the Indian Ocean acts as a smooth flowing fluid and moves around the tall islands. The result of this wind flow can be visual-
ized by the V-shaped clouds on the leeward or downwind direction of the islands. A sliver of Île aux Cochons, or Pig Island in
French, is seen in this photo, causing the occurrence of the ship wave clouds.

37
Legend
ATV
-
Automated
Transfer
Vehicle
DC1
-
Docking
Compartment
1
ELC
-
Expedite
the
Processing
of
Experiments
to
Space
Station
(EXPRESS)
Logistics
Carrier
ESP
-
External
Stowage
Platform
FGB
-
Functional
Cargo
Block
JEM
-
Japanese
Experiment
Module
JLP
-
Japanese
Experiment
Logistics
Module
Pressurized
Section
JPM
-
Japanese
Pressurized
Module
MRM1
-
Mini-Research
Module
1
P1-P6
-
Port
attachment
points
PMA
-
Pressurized
Mating
Adapter
PMM
-
Permanent
Multipurpose
Module
S1-S6
–
Starboard
attachment
points
SPDM
-
Special
Purpose
Dexterous
Manipulator
SSRMS
-
Space
Station
Remote
Manipulator
System
STS
-
Space
Transportation
System
ULF
–
Utilization/Logistics

38
Facilities
ISS Research Facilities enable scientific investigations and are defined as:
1.
Available aboard ISS or as a sortie to ISS for long periods of time (i.e., more
than a single increment)
2.
Can be scheduled for use by investigators OR provide an interface for
connecting investigations to the ISS/environment by other than the
hardware’s original developer/owner.
Circling the Earth every 90 minutes in a low-Earth orbit, covering over 90 percent
of the planets habitable land mass, the ISS provides a unique vantage point for
collecting Earth and space science data. From an average altitude of about 400
km (248.5 miles), detailed data regarding the space environment, land features,
environmental changes and land use taken from the ISS can be layered with other
sources of data, such as orbiting satellites and aerial photogrammetry, to compile
the most comprehensive information available. Facilities in this section show some
of the current and growing capabilities afforded by the ISS in the following fields
of research: glaciers, agriculture, urban development, natural disaster monitoring,
atmospheric observations, and space radiation.

39
ISS Windows
View of Russian Extravehicular Activity 45A seen through Cupola Window 7. IOleg Kononenko secured in a yakor foot
restraint attached to Cargo Boom Module-1, is visible near the worksite on the docked Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft exterior
(ISS057E131561).
There are more than 30 windows with varied optical properties within the ISS,
providing many viewing opportunities for researchers. Variability within these
properties include pane material, thickness, coating, and the presence or absence
of pressure covers that determine optical quality. Each window is subject to strict
quality control and monitoring because structural flaws increase the possibility of
fractures caused by Micrometeoroid Orbital Debris (MMOD).
The Cupola, an observatory module attached to the nadir side of the International
Space Station, provides a panoramic observation and work area for the crew to
support operations outside the station, such as robotic activities, visiting vehicles,
and spacewalks. Its seven windows come equipped with shutters to protect them
from contamination and MMOD. While the Cupola was not intended expressly
for Earth observations, it has become the most commonly used ISS viewing port for
CEO activities.
Potential proposers of instruments that require specific window properties or fields
of view are strongly encouraged to contact the International Space Station Program
or the ISS U.S National Laboratory early in the conceptual design process to verify

40
that the desired viewing locations are appropriate and available. More information
on the design process can be found at https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/
research/research_information.html.
Internal Facilities
Window Observational Research Facility
(WORF), Launched April 2010
Overall view of WORF in the U.S. Laboratory taken on
January, 15, 2015 (ISS034E029941).
The WORF was delivered to the ISS in April
2010 on the STS-131 mission of Space Shuttle
Discovery. It was installed and prepped in the
Destiny Laboratory. The WORF occupies
the location in the U.S. Lab adjacent to the
highest quality optical window ever installed
on a human-tended spacecraft. The WORF
provides a unique ISS facility for conducting
crew-tended or automatic Earth observation
and scientific research. It is a multipurpose
facility that provides structural support
hardware, avionics, thermal conditioning, and
optical quality protection in support of a wide
variety of remote-sensing instruments and
scientific investigations. The arrival of
the WORF has allowed astronauts to
permanently remove a protective, non-optical
“scratch pane” on the window, which had
often blurred images. The exterior surface of the WORF window is protected
by a closeable shutter for protection from contamination from visiting vehicles.
This shutter can be commanded to open and close from the ground, providing
24/7 science data collection capability (within ISS operational and contamination
mitigation flight rules).
The WORF also provides a highly stable mounting platform to hold cameras and
sensors steady while offering power, command, data, and cooling connections. As
a facility, the WORF can provide power, data, and cooling water for up to three
payloads simultaneously by interfacing with existing ISS systems. The WORF can
provide data downlink at a rate on the order of 100 Mbps. Investigators can operate

41
their payloads autonomously at their institutions with uplink and downlink data
going through the Huntsville Operations Support Center at MSFC in Huntsville,
AL. The general design philosophy of the WORF favors autonomous payloads, but
crew members can also operate payloads from the Destiny Laboratory aisle using an
externally mounted laptop computer (Scott, et al. 2003).
This view of British Columbia’s snow-capped mountains and coastline in western Canada, captured on January 17, 2011,
features an area just north of Vancouver Island, centered at 51.8 degrees north latitude and 127.9 degrees west longitude, and
covering an area approximately 200 kilometers by 134 kilometers (EarthKAM Image 9362).
External Facilities
Graphical representation of the ISS flying toward the viewer highlights the
primary locations for external facility interface infrastructure and hardware,
including a subset of current ISS facilities housed at those locations.
This section provides an
overview of current external
facilities that contribute to
research in Earth observations
from the microgravity
environment outside the
space station. As science and
commercial utilization of the
ISS continues to grow, this
list is subject to change. For
in-depth information on ISS

42
facilities, visit space Station Research Explorer: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_
pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/index.html.
Columbus External Payload Facility (ESA), Launched 2007
Columbus-External Payload Facility (Columbus-EPF) provides four powered
external attachment sites for scientific payloads or facilities, and has to date
been used by ESA and NASA. Each of the four attachment sites holds a mass
of up to 290 kg and provides utility connections for power and data. Included
with Columbus at launch, the Solar Facility was one of the first two European
investigations supported by the Columbus-EPF. Currently, the Atmosphere Space
Interaction Monitor (ASIM) and High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) systems
are installed on the lower, Earth-facing external attachment sites.
Columbus EPF Resources
Location Viewing Payload Size Power Data
SOZ Zenith 230 kg per site (sites; uses
adapter CEPA)
1.25 kW at 120
VDC; 2.5 kW
max
Ethernet: 10
Mbps
SOX Ram
SDX Ram
SDN Nadir
Kibo (JAXA), Launched 2008
The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), known as “Kibo” (pronounced key-bow),
which means “hope” in Japanese, is Japan’s first manned space experiment facility. It
is the largest experiment module on the ISS. This is the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency’s (JAXA’s) first contribution to the ISS program. Kibo was designed and
developed with a view to conducting scientific research activities on orbit.
The Kibo consists of two experiment facilities, the Pressurized Module (PM)
and the Exposed Facility (EF). The EF is directly exposed to space, and it is a
unique facility among ISS laboratories because it enables long-term experiments
in open space as well as Earth and astronomical observations. The EF is used for
research in fields such as communication, space science, engineering, technology
demonstration, materials processing, and Earth observation. The PM is equipped
with an airlock, allowing astronauts to move experiment devices back and forth
between the PM and the EF through the airlock by manipulating the Kibo’s robotic
arm (JEM-RMS). Kibo provides extensive opportunities for utilization of the space
environment as well as Earth remote sensing investigations.

43
Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) (JAXA) External Accommodations,
Launched 2009
Mass Capacity 500 kg (10 standard sites, mass includes PIU adaptor); 2500 kg
(3 heavy sites, mass includes PIU adaptor)
Volume 1.5 m3
Power 3–6 kW, 113–126 VDC
Thermal 3–6 kW cooling
Low-rate data 1 Mbps (MIL-STD-1553)
High-rate data 43 Mbps (shared)
Sites available per ELC 2 Sites
Sites available to NASA 5 Sites
EXPRESS Logistics Carrier (several external locations on ISS truss)
Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the Space Station (ExPRESS) Logistics
Carrier (ELC) is a pallet designed to support external research hardware and store
external spares (called Orbital Replacement Units, ORUs) needed over the life of
ISS. Currently, four ELCs are mounted to ISS trusses, providing unique vantage
points for space, technology and Earth-observation investigations. Two ELCs
are attached to the starboard truss 3 (ITS-S3) and two ELCs to the port truss 3
(ITS-P3).
By attaching at the S3/P3 sites, a variety of views such as Zenith (deep space) or
Nadir (Earthward) direction with a combination of ram (forward) or wake (aft)
pointing allows for many possible viewing opportunities.
ExPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC) External Research Accommodations
Mass Capacity 227 kg (500lb); 8 sites across 4 ELCs; not including adaptor plate
Volume 1.2 m3
Power 750 W, 113–126 VDC; 500 W at 28 VDC per adapter
Thermal Active heating, passive cooling
Low-rate data 1 Mbps (MIL-STD-1553)
Medium-rate data 6 Mbps (shared)
Sites available per ELC 2 Sites
Total ELC sites available 8 Sites

44
NanoRacks External Platform (NREP) (NASA), Launched 2016
This image shows the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) moving to install the NanoRacks
External Platform (NREP) on the Japanese Experiment Module—External Facility (JEM-EF) (ISS048E049803).
The NanoRacks External Platform is the first commercial research capability for
testing science investigations, sensors, and electronic technologies in space. The
NREP is located on the JEM-EF, and payloads are deployed by the Japanese
Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS). For more
information on accessing the NREP, contact ISS U.S. National Laboratory (https://
www.issnationallab.org/).
Multiple User Systems for Earth Sensing (MUSES) (NASA), Launched 2016
The Multiple User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) is a commercial Earth
imaging platform capable of hosting different remote sensing instruments such as
high-resolution digital cameras and hyperspectral imaging systems for commercial
and scientific applications. It hosts up to four instruments at the same time, and
allows for changes, upgrades, and robotic services to be made on those instruments.
MUSES performs its duties in the microgravity environment on the external ISS.
For more information on accessing MUSES, contact ISS U.S. National Laboratory
(https://www.issnationallab.org/).

45
Bartolomeo (ESA), Launch Planned 2019
Bartolomeo is aerospace company Airbus
DS’s new external payload-hosting facility
capable of hosting multiple external
payloads on the ISS and providing
reliable access to low-Earth orbit for
commercial and institutional customers
from Europe, the U.S., and international
partners throughout the life of the ISS. It
will feature an unobstructed view of Earth
and space, unpressurized and pressurized
launch of payloads, and payload or
sample return options.
The concept art above shows the Bartolomeo platform, an
external payload hosting facility named after Christopher
Columbus’ younger brother. This payload is to be mounted
on the forward side of the Columbus module. Image credit:
Airbus DS)
ESA and Airbus DS established a
partnership for the construction, launch,
and operations of the Bartolomeo platform, scheduled to launch and begin
performing its duties attached to the European Columbus module in mid-2019.
Small Satellite Deployment (NASA)
Another option of potential interest for Earth remote sensing is the use of
deployable small satellites such as CubeSats, either singly or in constellations.
Following construction on the ground, these small satellites can be transported to
the ISS for launch into free flight and eventual re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.
Satellite Size, Approximate mm
(Inches)
Mass (Max of
Deployed Satellite)
Location of
Deployment
J-SODD 1U – 100 x 100 x 113.5 mm
(3.9 x 3.9 x 4.7 inches)
2U – 100 x 100 x 227.0 mm
(3.9 x 3.9 x 8.9 inches)
3U – 100 x 100 x 340.5 mm
(3.9 x 3.9 x 13.4 inches)
1.33 Kg/1U Deployed from ISS (JEM EF)
Currently in-orbit
CYCLOPS 1117.6 x 762 x 279.4-533.4 mm
(44L x 30W x 11-21H inches)
100 kg Deployed from ISS (JEM EF)
In-orbit post SpX3 launch
Space X 1U – 100 x 100 x 100 mm
(3.9 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches)
2U – 100 x 100 x 200 mm
(3.9 x 3.9 x 6.8 inches)
3U – 100 x 100 x 300 mm
(3.9 x 3.9 x 10.7 inches)
1.33 kg/1U Deployed from Space X
prior to ISS docking
Available post SpX3

46
ISS Pointing, Interface, and Environmental Information
ISS pointing, interface, and environmental information is presented in a
guide titled, “A Researcher’s Guide to: International Space Station Technology
Demonstration,” in the sections ISS Characteristics and ISS Accommodations –
Software and Avionics, ISS Command and Data Handling.

47
Funding, Developing and
Launching Research to ISS
There are several sources of funding available to scientists to be used for research,
payload development, payload processing at NASA facilities, in-orbit operation,
and more. Once a payload has been selected for development, engineering and
operations staff in the ISS Program Office are available to work with payload teams
through the design, test, certification, build, and launch phases prior to beginning
mission operations on ISS. More detailed information on this process, and
information on current and planned launch vehicles, is available at https://www.
nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/research_information.html.
In general, NASA funding for space station use is obtained through NASA Research
Announcements (NRAs). Funding for other government agencies, private, and
non-profit use of the space station is obtained through research opportunities
released by ISS U.S. National Laboratory. Space Station International Partner
funding can be obtained through their respective processes.
Potential proposers to any NASA program announcement should contact the
relevant Program Scientist to discuss the appropriateness of their sensor concept to
the specific solicitation and for contacts within the ISS Program Office to discuss
expected development costs for their proposal budgets.
National Funding Sources
NASA SMD (ROSES)
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) provides Research Opportunities
in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) through the Applied Science Program.
The Applied Sciences Program promotes and funds activities to discover and
demonstrate innovative uses and practical benefits of NASA Earth science data,
scientific knowledge, and technology.
NASA SMD EXPLORER/SALMON
SMD also solicits for Missions of Opportunity via a Stand Alone Mission of
Opportunity Notice (SALMON) and the Explorers Program. The mission of
the Explorers Program is to provide frequent flight opportunities for world-class
scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined and efficient
management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas. The
program seeks to enhance public awareness of, and appreciation for, space science
and to incorporate educational and public outreach activities as integral parts of
space science investigations.

48
NASA SMD Earth Venture (EV)
The Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) program, https://essp.nasa.gov/,
within SMD is a science-driven program designed to provide an innovative
approach to Earth science research by providing periodic, competitively selected
opportunities to accommodate new and emergent scientific priorities. ESSP
Projects include developmental, high-return Earth Science missions including
advanced remote sensing instrument approaches to achieve these priorities and
often involve partnerships with other U.S. agencies and/or with international
science and space organizations. These projects are capable of supporting a variety
of scientific objectives related to Earth science, including the atmosphere, oceans,
land surface, polar ice regions and solid earth. Projects include development and
operation of space missions, space-based remote sensing instruments for missions
of opportunity, and airborne science missions, and the conduct of science research
utilizing data from these missions. ESSP missions encompass the entire project life-
cycle from definition, through design, development, integration and test, launch,
operations, science data analysis, distribution and archival.
ESSP is home to NASA’s Earth Venture (EV) class of missions: a series of
uncoupled, relatively low-to-moderate cost, small- to medium-sized, competitively
selected, full-orbital missions (EVM); instruments for orbital missions of
opportunity, including the ISS (EVI); and sub-orbital projects (EVS).
More information on NASA funding opportunities can be found at
https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations.
ISS U.S. National Laboratory
In 2011, NASA finalized a cooperative agreement with the Center for the
Advancement of Science in Space to manage the International Space Station
U.S. National Laboratory (ISS National Lab). The independent, nonprofit
research management organization ensures the station’s unique capabilities are
available to the broadest possible cross section of U.S. scientific, technological and
industrial communities.
The ISS National Lab develops and manages a varied research and development
portfolio based on U.S. national needs for basic and applied research. It establishes
a marketplace to facilitate matching research pathways with qualified funding
sources and stimulates interest in using the national lab for research and
technology demonstrations and as a platform for science, technology, engineering

49
and mathematics education. The goal is to support, promote and accelerate
innovations and new discoveries in science, engineering and technology that will
improve life on Earth.
More information on ISS National Lab, including proposal announcements, is
available at www.issnationallab.org.
Other Government Agencies
Potential funding for research on the ISS is also available via governmental
partnerships with ISS U.S. National Laboratory and includes (but is not limited to)
such government agencies as:
• Defense Agency Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
• Department of Energy (DOE)
• Department of Defense (DOD)
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
International Funding Sources
Unique and integral to the ISS are the partnerships established between the United
States, Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe. All partners share in the greatest
international project of all time, providing various research and experiment
opportunities for all. These organizations – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
(JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), ESA (European Space Agency), Russian
space agency Roscosmos, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and the
German Aerospace Center (DLR) – provide potential funding opportunities for
international scientists from many diverse disciplines.

50
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Acronyms
ASI Italian Space Agency
ASIM Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor
BAD Broadcast Ancillary Data
CDH Command and Data Handling
CALIPSO Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation
CATS Cloud Aerosol Transport System
CEO Crew Earth Observations
CEPA Columbus External Payload Adapter
CLARREO Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory
COTS Commercial off the Shelf
CST Crew Space Transportation
DESIS DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer
DHPU Data Handling and Power Unit
DLR German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt)
ECOSTRESS ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station
ECLSS Environmental Control Life Support Systems
EEU Experimental Exchange Unit
ELC EXPRESS Logistics Carrier
EPF External Payload Facility
EREP Earth Resources Experiment
ESA European Space Agency
ESRS Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit
EUSO Extreme Universe Space Observatory
EV Earth Venture
EVA Extravehicular Activity (spacewalk)
EXPRESS Expedite the Processing of Experiments for Space Station Rack
FRAM Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism
FOV Field of View
GEDI Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation
GSD Ground Sample Distance
HD High Definition
HDEV High Definition Earth Viewing
HEIST Hyperspectral Earth Imaging System Trial
HICO Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean

54
HISUI Hyperspectral Imager Suite
HREP HICO and RAIDS Experiment Payload
ICD Interface Control Document
ICU Integrated Communications Unit
IDC International Disasters Charter
ISERV ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System
ISS International Space Station
ISSAC ISS Agricultural Camera
JEM Japanese Experiment Module
JEM-EF JEM Exposed Facility
JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory
LAN Local Area Network
LEO Low Earth Orbit
LIDAR Light Detection and Ranging
LIS Lightning Imager Sensor
LOS Loss of Signal
MCC Mission Control Center
MMIA Miniature Multispectral Imaging Array
MMOD Micrometeoroid Orbital Debris
MSFC Marshall Space Flight Center
MSS Mobile Servicing System
MUSES Multiple User Systems for Earth Sensing
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NRL Naval Research Lab
OCO-3 Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3
PHILLS Portable Hyperspectral Imager for Low Light Spectroscopy
PIM Payload Integration Manager
PL MDM Payload Multiplexer De-Multiplexer
PM Pressurized Module
POIC Payload Operation Integration Center
PRCU Payload Rack Checkout Unit
RAIDS Remote Atmosphere and Ionospheric Detection Systems
RIM Research Integration Manager
RMS Robotic Manipulator System

55
ROSES Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science
SAGE III Stratospheric and Aerosol Gas Experiment III
SALMON Stand Alone Mission of Opportunity Notice
SE Safety Engineer
SIR-C/X-SAR Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar
SMD Science Mission Directorate
SMILES Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder
SQM Strange Quark Matter
SRTM Shuttle Radar Topography Mission
STP-H5 LIS Space test Program-H5-Lightning Imaging Sensor
SwRI Southwest Research Institute
TDRSS Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System
TEA Torque Equilibrium Attitude
TKSU Tskuba Space Center (Japan)
TLE Transient Luminous Events
TQCM Thermoelectric Quartz Crystal Microbalances
TREK Telescience Resource Kit
TRL Technology Readiness Levels
TRMM Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission
TSI/SSI Total Solar Irradiance/Spectral Solar Irradiance (TSIS-1)
UHECR Ultra-High-Energy-Cosmic Ray
USGS United States Geological Survey
UV Ultra Violet
VDC Voltage Direct Current
VNIR Visible Near Infrared
WORF Window Observational Research Facility

56
The Complete ISS Researcher’s
Guide Series
1. Acceleration Environment
2. Cellular Biology and Regenerative Medicine
3. Combustion Science
4. Earth Observations
5. Fluid Physics
6. Fruit Fly Research
7. Fundamental Physics
8. GeneLab
9. Human Research
10. Macromolecular Crystal Growth
11. Microbial Research
12. Microgravity Materials Research
13. Physical Sciences Informatics Systems
14. Plant Science
15. Rodent Research
16. Space Environmental Effects
17. Technology Demonstration
56

57
For more information...
Space Station Science
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science
Station Research Facilities/Capabilities
https://www.nasa.gov/stationfacilities
Station Research Opportunities
https://www.nasa.gov/stationopportunities
Station Research Experiments/Results
https://go.nasa.gov/researchexplorer
Station Research Benefits for Humanity
https://www.nasa.gov/stationbenefits
57

58
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Johnson Space Center
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson
www.nasa.gov
NP-2019-07-003-JSC

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