This viewgraph presentation gives a general overview of astronaut photography. The contents include: 1) The Data; and 2) Astronaut Training and Operations

Stefanov, William L.

NASA Technical Reports Server

Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
An Overview of Astronaut Photography
Dr. William L. Stefanov
Image Science & Analysis Laboratory
NASA Johnson Space Center
Houston, TX 77058 USA
william.l.stefanov@nasa.gov
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20090007463 2019-08-30T06:07:24+00:00Z
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
 The Data
Basic Remote Sensing Theory
International Space Station Platform
Astronaut Photography Data Characteristics
 Astronaut Training and Operations
Crew Earth Observations Group
Targeting Sites and Acquisition
Cataloging and Database
* all images in this presentation courtesy of NASA unless otherwise noted*
Overview
ISS013-E-13263
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Basic Theory
• Earth’s atmosphere defines
“windows” useable for remote
sensing
• Different information is obtained
using different wavelengths
• Most sensors are passive (radar
and LIDAR are active)
• Information obtained is directly
related to material chemistry and
physics
Sabins, 1997
Speed of light (c) = 299,792,458 m/sec
Frequency = c/wavelength
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Basic Theory
Incident energy is reflected, transmitted, or emitted from surficial materials;
sensor sees mixture of energy from multiple surface materials and atmosphere
For passive systems, information is obtained from only the uppermost surface (~130 microns); 
no depth profiles!
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Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
STS096-715-042
June 1999
International Space Station
STS106-E-5319
Sept 2000
STS097-704-080
Dec 2000
STS100-E-5958
Apr 2001
STS110-E-5912
Apr 2002
STS114-E-7200
Aug 2005
5- -06750
Sept 6 ¾Multinational space effort
including Canada, Japan,
Russia, Brazil, Belgium, Denmark,
France, Germany, Italy,
Netherlands, Norway, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA
¾Crews have included astronauts
from NASA, ESA, JAXA, CSA, BSA;
Russian cosmonauts; and “space
tourists” over 18 Expeditions
¾Crew rotation is typically six months;
6-person crews slated to begin 2009
¾Station provides zero-g facility for
science, engineering, and
biomedical experiments vital for 
future long-duration missions to the
Moon and Mars
Nov 2008
STS126-E-14905
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
ISS Orbital Parameters
Unlike polar-orbiting satellites such as Landsat or Terra,
the International Space Station (ISS) has an inclined 
equatorial orbit that is not sun-synchronous. 
This type of orbit limits nadir viewing opportunities to approximately
52N and 52S latitudes, and results in variable ground illumination.
A – Successive orbit paths, 
descending ISS passes.
B – Daylight illumination in 
Southern Hemisphere only.
C – Successive orbit paths, 
ascending ISS passes.
D – Daylight illumination in 
Northern Hemisphere only.
A
B
C
D
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Data Characteristics • AP acquired since 1960s as part of crewed 
missions
• System response for digital cameras is 
comprised of CCD response, optical filters (NIR) 
and transmissivity of ISS window.
• Response curves typically exhibit significant 
overlap below the 60 % incident energy level
• Theoretical maximum resolution approaching
4 m/pixel confirmed in ISS digital imagery
  Station Altitude 
  Minimum Maximum 
Camera Lens 368 km 386 km 
Hasselblad 110 mm 35.4 37.1 
 250 mm 15.6 16.3 
 350 mm 11.1 11.6 
Nikon 300 mm 13.0 13.6 
 400 mm 9.7 10.2 
DSC 300 mm 11.0 11.6 
 400 mm 8.3 8.7 
 800 mm 4.2 4.4 
 
 
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Nikon D2Xs Camera
Effective pixels 12.4 million 
 
Image sensor CMOS sensor, 23.7 x 15.7mm size, 12.84 million total pixels 
 
Image size Full Image: [L] 4,288 x 2,848-pixel / [M] 3,216 x 2,136-pixel / [S] 
2,144 x 1,424-pixel 
 
ISS018-E-6051ISS018-E-6051
Image source: Nikon
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Spectral Resolution
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Spatial Resolution
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
ASTER Band 2 – visible green
15 meters/pixel
ASTER Band 6 – shortwave IR
30 meters/pixel 
ASTER Band 11 – thermal IR
90 meters/pixel 
0 200 m
ASTER data acquired 15-October-2003
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Astronaut photograph ISS007-E-13075
Acquired 20-August-2003, ~ 7 meters/pixel
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
High-resolution astronaut photography – Munich Airport, Germany
ISS013-E-18319, acquired 12:48:43 GMT May 12 2006
800 mm lens, 4 m/pixel
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
 The Data
Basic Remote Sensing Theory
International Space Station Platform
Astronaut Photography Data Characteristics
 Astronaut Training and Operations
Crew Earth Observations Group
Targeting Sites and Acquisition
Cataloging and Database
* all images in this presentation courtesy of NASA unless otherwise noted*
Overview
ISS013-E-13263
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Crew Earth Observations (CEO)
z Science team based at NASA Johnson Space Center
z Currently tasked with performance of Crew Earth Observations experiment payload 
aboard the ISS
z Astronaut training for specific science objectives (includes urban areas, ecological 
monitoring sites, glaciers, deltas, megafans, volcanoes, impact craters)
z Download and cataloging of images for entry into database, curation of astronaut 
photography database
z Distribution of data to collaborating scientists and performance of research
z Educational outreach (NASA Earth Observatory, Public Affairs Office, NASA 
Hurricane Resource web site)
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Crew Training
CEO Science Briefing Series, v. 3.07.06
Operational Summary
Lenses/orientation
• 50 mm or 180 mm for general context images
• 400 mm for detailed overlapping mapping swaths; 800 mm (not zoom lens)
may be requested for point locations within specific sites
• Nadir view orientation preferred, however if sunglint is visible
oblique images are useful for mapping surface water bodies
Features to look for (particulary for repeat acquisitions)
• Vegetation patterns; changes in canopy or grassland coloration and extent
• Variations in surface morphology - coastlines, landslide scars, burn scars
• Varying land cover – agricultural fields, urban-rural boundaries
• Surficial soil color – corresponds to soil type, moisture change, disturbance
¾ Astronauts and 
cosmonauts are 
given briefing on 
science objectives 
and photographic 
technique by CEO
scientist prior to 
Expeditions
Slide excerpts from CEO “Long Term Ecological
Research” crew briefing.
Mission Operations
Daily determination of potential 
CEO LTER target visibility using 
ISS orbit ephemeris data
Screening of potential target
list by crew activity schedule,
sun elevation, ISS
orientation (determines nadir
versus oblique imagery)
Predicted cloud
cover (24 hrs. out)
favorable?
NO
ISS/site area of interest intersection
time and coordinates; descriptive 
text and specific photographic 
instructions; and supporting data 
formatted into CEO Target List
message
YES
CEO Target List message reviewed
by Operations Controller and
Payload Operations Director;
uploaded to crew prior to waking
Image Database
Geographic center 
coordinates and 
descriptive metadata 
are determined for 
each image by CEO 
staff using 
georeferenced 
remotely sensed data 
and maps. 
Images are then added to the online searchable
astronaut photography database “Gateway to
Astronaut Photography of Earth”:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov.
Online database can be searched by geographic
coordinates, date/time, mission, keyword,
illumination and look angle parameters, lenses, etc.
using Technical Search tools (left) @
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/sql.htm.
Query results include links to full metadata for 
each image (right). Images can be downloaded at 
full resolution free of charge. 
CEO Science Briefing Series, v. 3.07.06
Desert Sites
Sevilleta (SEV/O027)Jornada (JRN/O017)
JRN
SEV
Desertification processes
Invasive species, soil change, grazing
Geomorphology, hydrology, climate change
Biodiversity, landscape heterogeneity
Image source: http://www.cdnp.org/
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Image source: http://sev.lternet.edu/photoarchives/album15/web2_st140_b_rsl.jpg
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Payload Workflow
&
&
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
The View From Above
Windows on Earth software – http://winearth.terc.edu/appISSFlight
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
CEO operations
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Crew Training
CEO Science Briefing Series, v. 3.07.06
Operational Summary
Lenses/orientation
• 50 mm or 180 mm for general context images
• 400 mm for detailed overlapping mapping swaths; 800 mm (not zoom lens)
may be requested for point locations within specific sites
• Nadir view orientation preferred, however if sunglint is visible
oblique images are useful for mapping surface water bodies
Features to look for (particulary for repeat acquisitions)
• Vegetation patterns; changes in canopy or grassland coloration and extent
• Variations in surface morphology - coastlines, landslide scars, burn scars
• Varying land cover – agricultural fields, urban-rural boundaries
• Surficial soil color – corresponds to soil type, moisture change, disturbance
¾ Astronauts and 
cosmonauts are 
given briefing on 
science objectives 
and photographic 
technique by CEO
scientist prior to 
Expeditions
Slide excerpts from CEO “Long Term Ecological
Research” crew briefing.
Mission Operations
Daily determination of potential 
CEO LTER target visibility using 
ISS orbit ephemeris data
Screening of potential target
list by crew activity schedule,
sun elevation, ISS
orientation (determines nadir
versus oblique imagery)
Predicted cloud
cover (24 hrs. out)
favorable?
NO
ISS/site area of interest intersection
time and coordinates; descriptive 
text and specific photographic 
instructions; and supporting data 
formatted into CEO Target List
message
YES
CEO Target List message reviewed
by Operations Controller and
Payload Operations Director;
uploaded to crew prior to waking
Image Database
Geographic center 
coordinates and 
descriptive metadata 
are determined for 
each image by CEO 
staff using 
georeferenced 
remotely sensed data 
and maps. 
Images are then added to the online searchable
astronaut photography database “Gateway to
Astronaut Photography of Earth”:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov.
Online database can be searched by geographic
coordinates, date/time, mission, keyword,
illumination and look angle parameters, lenses, etc.
using Technical Search tools (left) @
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/sql.htm.
Query results include links to full metadata for 
each image (right). Images can be downloaded at 
full resolution free of charge. 
CEO Science Briefing Series, v. 3.07.06
Desert Sites
Sevilleta (SEV/O027)Jornada (JRN/O017)
JRN
SEV
Desertification processes
Invasive species, soil change, grazing
Geomorphology, hydrology, climate change
Biodiversity, landscape heterogeneity
Image source: http://www.cdnp.org/
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Image source: http://sev.lternet.edu/photoarchives/album15/web2_st140_b_rsl.jpg
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Payload Workflow
&
&
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
So Why Use Astronaut Photographs?
Data are freely available to user community
Data require preprocessing (georeferencing) for 
quantitative analysis
Data are easily interpreted without need for 
sophisticated software
Several outside factors can contribute to 
nonacquisition of data (weather, lighting, 
operational constraints)
Ability to acquire high oblique imagery allows 
for photography of surface and atmospheric 
features (hurricanes, aurora)
Bandpasses of cameras are broad and overlap at 
low intensity levels – makes spectral analysis of 
data difficult
Spatial resolutions as high as 4 m/pixel can be 
acquired under ideal conditions
Repeat acquisition cycle typically not regularExtensive database represents longest image 
record for many portions of the globe
Variability of human-acquired data makes direct 
comparison difficult, both within time series of 
photographs and with other datasets
Variable look angles, sun illumination, and 
acquisition time can provide new information on 
surface reflectance processes
DisadvantagesAdvantages
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Geologic Mapping
•bedrock, structure
Economic Resource Assessment
•structure, vegetation
Hazard Assessment
•volcanoes, earthquakes, floods,
Land Cover Mapping/Change
•patch dynamics, urbanization, vegetation
Geomorphology/Landscape Characterization
•topography, visualization 
Soil Mapping
•agriculture, soil moisture
Hydrology
•drainage networks, vegetation, land cover, floods
Climatology/Surface Fluxes
•albedo
Environmental Monitoring
•anthropogenic contaminants, air quality
Astronaut photography could be used for…
Expedition Earth and Beyond Teacher Workshop, Jan-26-09
Selected References
Gebelein, J., and Eppler, D. (2006) How Earth remote sensing from the International Space
Station complements current satellite-based sensors. International Journal of Remote 
Sensing 27 (13):2613-2629.
Robinson, J.A., Liddle, D., Evans, C., and Amsbury, D. (2002) Astronaut-acquired orbital
photographs as digital data for remote sensing: spatial resolution. International Journal 
of Remote Sensing 23:4403-4438.
Stefanov, W.L. (2008) Astronaut photography: “Hands-on” remote sensing of the Earth. Phi
Kappa Phi Forum 88 (1):2-7.


An Overview of Astronaut Photography

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