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: 

Lisa A. Vanderbloemen, Ph.D.

William L. Stefanov, Ph.D.

Cynthia A. Evans, Ph.D.

Executive Editor: Amelia Rai

Technical Editor: Neesha Hosein

Designer: Cory Duke

Cover and back cover: 

a. Earth Observations taken by Expedition 30 crewmember. One of a series of time lapse photos. 

b. Sarychev Peak Volcano eruption, Kuril Islands, is featured in this image photographed by an 

Expedition 20 crew member on the ISS. A fortuitous orbit of the IISS allowed the astronauts this 

striking view of Sarychev volcano (Russia’s Kuril Islands, northeast of Japan) in an early stage of 

eruption on June 12, 2009.

c. Inside the Cupola, NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, an Expedition 36 flight engineer, uses a 400mm 

lens on a digital still camera to photograph a target of opportunity on Earth some 250 miles below 

him and the ISS. 
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These circular star trails and the rainbow of colorful lights of the Earth below them were created by a total of 18 images with 

prolonged time exposures combined 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 in which occupants of the 

International Space Station 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.

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 increase utilization of ISS as a National Laboratory, now is the time 

for investigators to propose new research and to make discoveries 

unveiling novel responses that could not be defined using traditional 

approaches on Earth. 

The Lab is Open
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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 3-D 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 longlife reliable components used on Earth as well as in the world’s most 

sophisticated satellite and spacecraft components.

3. Low Earth orbit at 51degrees inclination and at a 90-minute orbit 

affords ISS a unique vantage point with an altitude of approximately 240 

miles (400 kilometers) and an orbital path over 90 percent of the Earth’s 

population. 

This can provide improved spatial resolution and variable lighting 

conditions compared to the sun-synchronous orbits of typical Earth 

remote-sensing satellites.

Unique Features of the ISS 

Research Environment
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Why Use ISS as a Remote Sensing Platform? 8

Observing the Earth from Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) 9

Advantages and Challenges to Earth Observing from the ISS 9

ISS Orbital Parameters 10

ISS Attitude Orientation 11

Results from Past Research 12

Early Remote Sensing from Crew-Tended Platforms (pre-ISS) 12

Earth Science Research on the ISS 13

Crew Earth Observations (CEO) 13

ISS Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) 15

Opportunities for Research 17

Current Payloads 17

Internal Payloads 17

Crew Earth Observations (CEO) 17

ISS EarthKAM 18

ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV) 19

External Payloads 21

Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) 21

Firestation 22

Planned Future Payloads 23

Internal Payloads 23

METEOR [2014] 23

External Payloads 24

High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) [2014] 24

Cloud Aerosol Transport System (CATS) [2014] 25

Stratospheric and Aerosol Gas Experiment III/Hexapod (SAGE) III [2014] 25

Multi-User System for Earth Viewing (MUSES) [2014] 26

RapidScat [2014] 26

Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-3) [2016] 27

Lightning Imager Sensor (LIS) [2016] 27

Future Earth Observing Sensors 28

Operational Support 28

Table of Contents
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Lessons Learned 30

Facilities 31

ISS Windows 32

Internal Facilities 34

Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) 34

External Facilities 36

Columbus 37

Kibo 37

EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 38

Small Satellite Deployment 39

ISS Pointing, Interface, and Environmental Information 39

Funding, Developing, and Launching Research to ISS 40

National Funding Sources 40

NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Research Opportunities 40

in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES)

NASA SMD EXPLORER/ Stand Alone Mission of Opportunity 40

Notice (SALMON)

NASA SMD/ Earth Venture (EV)2 41

CASIS 41

Other Government Agencies 42

International Funding Sources 42

Citations 43

Acronyms 45
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According to the Science Plan for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate 2007-2016, 

the following are the priority Science Questions and Research Objectives for 

Earth Science. 

Science Questions

 • How is the global Earth system changing?

 • What are the primary causes of change in the Earth system?

 • How does the Earth system respond to natural and human-induced changes?

 • What are the consequences for human civilization? 

 • How will the Earth system change in the future?

Research Objectives 

 • Understand and improve predictive capability for changes in the ozone 

layer, climate forcing, and air quality associated with changes in atmospheric 

composition 

 • Enable improved predictive capability for weather and extreme weather events 

 • Quantify global land cover change, terrestrial and marine productivity, improve 

carbon cycle and ecosystem models 

 • Quantify the key reservoirs and fluxes in the global water cycle and improve 

models of water cycle change and fresh water availability 

 • Understand the role of oceans, atmosphere, and ice in the climate system, and 

improve predictive capability for its future evolution 

 • Characterize and understand Earth surface changes and variability of Earth’s 

gravitational and magnetic fields 

 • Expand and accelerate the realization of societal benefits from Earth 

system science

The Earth is a complex, dynamic system we do not yet fully understand. 

The Earth system, like the human body, comprises 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 

Earth science program is to develop a scientific understanding of Earth’s system and 

Why Use ISS as a Remote 

Sensing Platform?
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its response to natural or human-induced changes and to improve prediction of 

climate, weather, and natural hazards. (source: http://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/) 

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 coordinated 

approach enables an improved understanding of the Earth as an integrated system. 

NASA is completing the development and launch of a set of foundational missions, 

new decadal survey missions, and climate continuity missions. The ISS now joins 

the current and planned fleet of Earth remote-sensing platforms, bringing unique 

capabilities and offering new opportunities for Earth remote-sensing research 

and applications.

Observing the Earth from Low-Earth Orbit

Advantages and Challenges to Earth Observing 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 allows for uniform data to be taken over long time periods and enables 

straightforward analysis of change over time. 

The ISS is a unique remote sensing platform 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 (like 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 

collections over any location changes as the orbit precesses) that carries it over 

locations on the Earth between approximately 52 degrees north and 52 degree 

south latitudes. The result is similar illumination for three to four days every 

90 days.

The ISS orbit varies in altitude from approximately 350 to 455 km (217 to 283 

miles) above sea level. Becauseof atmospheric drag, reboosting of the ISS to 

maximum altitude is required approximately every 90 days. And because of the 

westward precession of orbit tracks, the ISS has an approximate repeat time over the 

same location every three days with similar lighting conditions being repeated every 

three months, not correcting for seasonal lighting shifts (Stefanov et al. 2013).

The ISS orbit covers over 90 percent of the inhabited surface of the Earth and 

allows for the ISS to pass over ground locations at different times of the day and 

night. This 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; and 2) 

with the appropriate targeting or pointing 

systems the ISS orbit provides opportunities 

for the ISS to collect data for short-duration 

events, such as natural disasters, that polarorbiting satellites may miss because of their 

orbital dynamics—in essence, the ISS can 

be “in the right place and at the right time” 

to collect data. (Stefanov and Evans 2013; 

Gebelein and Eppler 2006). These capabilities 

enable ISS data to be complimentary to polarorbiting satellite data. 

ISS

Most NASA satellites orbit over the poles, but the 

International Space Station’s orbit is inclined 52°, 

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.
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ISS Attitude Orientation 

The ISS generally flies in a local vertical, local horizontal (LVLH) attitude 

orientation, as shown in the figure below, using Control Moment Gyros to 

maintain the attitude without need for thruster firings. 

The ISS attitude varies about this LVLH hold in a sinusoidal motion every 90 

minute orbit. An attitude is selected, called the Torque Equilibrium Attitude 

(TEA), that balances the torques on ISS such that the CMGs can be used to 

stabilize the ISS attitude. The TEA is within 15o degrees of 0,0,0 LVLH. The per 

orbit sinusoidal variation about the TEA is within 3.5o per axis.

Every 3 to 4 weeks a visiting vehicle docking occurs that necessitates thruster 

control and an attitude maneuver for the event. Sometimes the attitude maneuver 

is only a few degrees, and sometimes the maneuver is a 180o yaw or 90o pitch. 

The event can last a few hours up to a few days.
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Early Remote Sensing from Crew-Tended Platforms (pre-ISS)

NASA has a long legacy of remote sensing from space, i.e. about 50 years. During 

the late 1950s in the unmanned Mercury test flights, hundreds of photographs 

were taken and proven useful to the scientific community. Then 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, and 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 multispectral, 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 

(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 the 

unmanned satellite-based, remote-sensing systems (e.g., the Landsat series) that 

continue to form the core of our 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 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/XSAR) 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 as well as opening up new 

areas of potential use for spaceborne imaging radar data to include naturalhazard assessments (NASA JPL 5/99). 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 surfaces (Farr, et al. 2007).

The Shuttle-Mir (1995-1998) Program was a collaborative program between the 

United States and the USSR/Russia. During the 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). 

Results from Past Research
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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; and 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. Current ISS utilization statistics including 

a cumulative history of research completed is continuously being tracked and 

updated and can be found here: http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/695701main_Current_

ISS_Utilization_Statistics.pdf. 

For up-to-date information regarding ISS activities, research and accomplishments, 

please visit the following link: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/

index.html

Crew Earth Observations (CEO)

From ISS Expedition 1 (November 2000) through May 2013, crew members 

have acquired nearly 1.2 million images of Earth as part of the CEO program. 

The total number of images taken from orbit by astronauts since the first Mercury 

missions is now more than 1.5 million. Scientists and the public around the world 

have access to CEO images captured by astronauts on ISS as well as images from 

earlier programs. These images are available through the Gateway to Astronaut 

Photography of Earth website (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov). 

Sample Research

CEO images captured from ISS of Pacific Ocean atolls (islands consisting of 

a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon) allowed for an assessment of spatial 

resolution on estimates of landscape parameters. Data gathered indicated that 

landscape parameter estimates were fairly accurate regardless of spatial resolution 

changes from 5 to 30 meters. The most detailed images of Fangatau Atoll, 
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taken from ISS, were used to measure the biomass of the giant clam fishery at 

Fangatau Atoll with accuracy similar to that obtained from aerial photography 

(Andréfouët et al. 2005).

To date, ISS crew members have successfully documented the break-up of large 

tabular icebergs that have calved from the Antarctic ice shelves and drifted 

northward into the South Atlantic Ocean. Researchers from the National Snow 

and Ice Data Center have used the imagery from the ISS to examine surface 

features, including ice margins, cracks and surface meltwater ponds to better 

understand the mechanisms and timing of iceberg breakup. Large tabular 

icebergs can be used to model breakups of the Antarctic ice shelf (Scambos et al. 

2005; 2008).

High-resolution astronaut photography collected from station has provided 

useful data for urban analysis, especially vegetation measurements. The accuracy 

of the data obtained from the astronaut photographs was similar to the data 

obtained by satellite remote sensors. The high-resolution astronaut photography 

obtained by the CEO investigation gives insights into vegetation density and 

phenology in urban, suburban, and agricultural areas (Stefanov and Robinson 

2003).

Imagery taken by astronauts has been collected and used to identify and build 

a global inventory of a new class of landform called megafans. These are large 

cones of sediments deposited by rivers that empty into large continental basins. 

Megafans are more easily identified using the wide, oblique views provided by 

astronaut photography. The results have been applied to interpreting features on 

both Earth and Mars. Wilkinson (2005) mapped megafans in South America 

from imagery collected by the space shuttle and ISS crews to understand how 

aquatic organisms might diversify in different river systems in South America. 

Another application of megafan landform analysis discusses how these features 

might provide a new perspective on mineral exploration (Wilkinson 2004). 

Through CEO, ISS crew members share their view of the Earth with the public 

and take pictures of some of the most dramatic examples of change on the 

Earth’s surface. These sites have included major deltas in south and east Asia, 

coral reefs, cities, alpine glaciers, volcanoes, large megafans (major fan-shaped 

river deposits), and features on Earth, such as impact craters, that are analogs to 

structures on other planets. Astronauts also record dynamic events: in 2004 and 
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2005, station astronauts took key photographs of the December 2004 tsunami, 

and Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. Other notable images capture volcanic 

eruptions on Mt. Etna (Sicily) and Cleveland volcano (Alaska), dust storms, 

smog, forest fires in the western U.S., and the Kolka glacier collapse in Russia.

Sample CEO Images

ISS Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) 

The 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. (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_

pages/station/research/experiments/81.html)

Sarychev Peak Volcano eruption, Kuril Islands, is featured in 

this image photographed by an Expedition 20 crew member 

on the International Space Station. A fortuitous orbit of the International Space Station allowed the astronauts this striking 

view of Sarychev volcano (Russia’s Kuril Islands, northeast of 

Japan) in an early stage of eruption on June 12, 2009.

 An Expediton 27 crew member aboard the International 

Space Station, 220 miles above Earth and the Mississippi 

River, captured this May 12 still photo, clearly showing 

the outlines of some heavily flooded agricultural fields 

on the Missouri side of the river. The center point for this 

400-mm frame is 36.27 degrees north latitude and 89.57 

degrees west longitude (north of Caruthersville, Mo. and 

west of Ridgely, Tenn.). North is towards the lower right 

corner of the image. 
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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. More 

generally, these same capabilities of ISSAC were applicable worldwide to scientific 

study of any areas undergoing rapid ecosystem change. Targets ranged from 

natural systems (glacier melt, plant phenological transitions, spring green-up, 

fall senescence) to human impact (deforestation, urbanization).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) (http://www.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.A.

Comparison of Minot, N.D., and Souris River Valley during normal river flow conditions (left image, Landsat Thematic Mapper 

data) and during flood conditions (right image, ISSAC data). Both images have been processed to highlight actively photosynthesizing vegetation in red. Urban areas appear gray-brown.
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Current Payloads

Internal Payloads

CEO

Historically the CEO program has been a major source of data provided by the 

ISS. While still an important aspect 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. Requests for new CEO data for scientific research and 

educational uses will require well-defined proposals from all users as the emphasis 

of CEO gradually shifts to primarily disaster response events in support of the 

International Disaster Charter (IDC). Additional capabilities of CEO include 

high-resolution night-time imagery of urban and suburban areas, and time-lapse 

sequence imagery of atmospheric phenomena such as airglow and aurora.

Night time 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 unique because they 

provide greater spatial resolution than any other orbital source of city light data.

A nighttime view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 33 crew member on the 

International Space Station. The city appears as a brightly colored patchwork in this nighttime photograph.

Opportunities for Research
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The CEO program involves crew members using professional-grade, 

commercial, off-the-shelf, handheld digital cameras with a suite of lenses 

(from wide angle to an 800-mm lens equivalent) to take Earth observation 

photographs that support research and applications in a wide variety of Earth 

science sub-disciplines including disaster response. Scientists on the ground 

train the crew in basic areas of 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 

as time is available and during their leisure time 

These digital photographs are downlinked, their location identified and both 

images and meta-data are assimilated into a public database. The images 

can be used as educational and research tools, as well as historical records of 

global environmental change, special geological and weather events, and the 

growth and change of human-made features such as cities. Scientific analyses 

using CEO data have been published in scientific journals in a wide variety of 

disciplines. CEO are conducted from any available window on space station, 

but are now 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. It is an axiom in the U.S. manned 

space program that a trained crew member is truly a part of the facilities. 

Worldwide access to images captured by astronauts on ISS is available through 

the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth Web site (http://eol.jsc.nasa.

gov ). Between 400,000 and 1,000,000 digital photographs of Earth taken from 

the CEO collection are downloaded by the public each month. The website also 

features searchable access to all the photographs and a public cataloging facility. 

ISS EarthKAM

Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students (EarthKAM) is a NASA 

educational outreach program enabling students, teachers, and the public to 

learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space. During ISS EarthKAM 

missions (periods when the ISS EarthKAM camera is operational), middle 

school students around the world request images of specific locations on Earth. 

The entire collection of ISS EarthKAM images is available in a searchable 
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ISS EarthKAM image archive (http://images.earthkam.ucsd.edu/main.

php). This image collection and accompanying learning guides and activities 

are extraordinary resources to engage students in Earth and space science, 

geography, social studies, mathematics, communications, and art.

ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV)

The ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV) 

is comprised of a COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) camera, telescope and 

pointing system operated remotely from Earth by researchers at NASA’s 

Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The ISERV camera system’s 

mission is to gain experience and expertise in automated data acquisition from 

the space station. ISERV is an observatory mounted within the WORF rack 

This EarthKAM image of Baja, 

Calif., was requested by students 

on Oct. 31, 2011, at 19:24 UTC 

(Coordinated Universal Time).

This EarthKAM image of Las 

Vegas, Nev., was requested 

by students on April 26, 2013, 

at 19:53 UTC (Coordinated 

Universal Time).
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aboard the ISS. This facility provides Earth observation data and is unique, 

both in terms of orbital characteristics and available human and infrastructure 

support that makes it a highly useful platform from which to acquire rapid and 

changing Earth observational data. Initial versions of this hardware provide 

the necessary experience in automated system tasking, data acquisition, and 

data transfer. Ultimately, this kind of observational system has the capability to 

support environmental decision-making, and to assess and monitor the impact 

of disasters and other significant events of the surface of our planet.

ISERV supports the goals of 

NASA’s SERVIR (Spanish for 

“to serve”) project. SERVIR is 

a conglomerate system of data, 

models, and information products, 

designed 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. In addition, SERVIR 

acts as a regional manager for 

disaster monitoring and assessment, 

and as such, is responsible for the 

acquisition and disbursement of 

a variety of data that describes 

the affected areas and is used 

for assessment and monitoring 

of conditions following these 

disasters. Principally supported by NASA and the U.S. Agency of International 

Development (USAID), a strong emphasis is placed on partnerships to fortify 

the availability of searchable and viewable earth observations, measurements, 

animations, and analysis.

This “first light” image from ISERV shows the mouth of the Rio 

San Pablo in Veraguas, Panama, as it empties into the Gulf of 

Montijo. This wetland supports an important local fishery and 

provides habitat for many mammals and reptiles, as well as 

several species of nesting and wintering water birds. 

The image was captured Feb. 16, 2013. 
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External Payloads

Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) 

HICO (Corson et al. 2008) is an imaging spectrometer based on the Portable 

Hyperspectral Imager for Low-Light Spectroscopy (PHILLS) airborne imaging 

spectrometers (Davis et al. 2002). 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 measures the thermosphere, which creates atmospheric drag on 

space vehicles and satellites and is affected by solar activity. RAIDS also studies 

the ionosphere, which has a strong influence on radio, radar, and satellite 

navigation signals. Imagery captured during HREP’s long duration will provide 

new data about how sunlight, cloud cover and different viewing angles can affect 

images taken in low-Earth orbit. 

HICO is the first space-borne imaging spectrometer designed to sample the 

coastal ocean. HICO samples 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. HICO data have much greater spatial (90 m vs. 1000 m) 

and spectral (87 channels vs. 9-15) resolution than current space-borne ocean 

color imagers, and the data are of great interest for studying the dynamics of 

the coastal ocean. Scientists from U.S. agencies, U.S. commercial interests, ISS 

International Partners, and academia (both nationally and internationally) have 

expressed interest in receiving and using HICO data to develop new algorithms 

and to study coastal ocean dynamics.

At the beginning of 2013, HICO transitioned from an investigator-sponsored 

instrument funded by the Department of Defense to an ISS facility with 

sustaining operational funding provided by the NASA ISS Program. 

The primary mission of HICO as an ISS facility is 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. HICO demonstrates 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. 
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The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) will continue to operate the instrument, 

with support of the science management team comprised of representatives 

from NASA ISS, NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD), the Center for 

the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), NRL and the HICO project 

scientist at Oregon State University (OSU). The HICO science management 

team will also support and manage the integration of authorized users. HICO 

tasking will be based on authorized investigator requests, with the goal of fully 

satisfying data collection needs for authorized users. 

NASA ISS, CASIS, and NASA Science Mission 

Directorate (SMD) will work together to identify 

authorized users, decide acquisition priorities when 

necessary, and facilitate expansion of the use of 

HICO data. The existing public interface for receipt 

of new user proposals, and notification/delivery of 

acquired data (http://hico.coas.oregonstate.edu/

join/join.shtml), will be modified as needed to track 

sponsorship of users. Data acquired by HICO is 

publically available at the OceanColor Web site 

(http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov).

Firestation

Firestation, a sensor attached to a US Department 

of Defense experimental pallet on the exterior of the 

ISS, watches for lightning on Earth, which regularly 

appears some 50 times a second around the globe. 

Firestation studies the link between lightning and 

mysterious events known as terrestrial gamma ray 

flashes, or TGFs. TGFs are very brief but intense 

bursts of gamma rays produced in Earth’s atmosphere 

by the powerful electrical charges over thunderstorms. 

Gamma radiation is typically produced only in 

extreme environments, like nuclear fusion inside 

the sun or from within distant exploding stars, so 

Yangtze River, China Oct 20 2009. Coastal water depth and visibility is delineated 

by variability in color shading as seen in image to the left. Coastal waters have 

historically been difficult areas to study using remote sensing platforms and so 

HREP-HICO is a major advancement for researchers studying coastal communities. 
23

this suggests the environment near a lightning flash is much more energetic 

and complex than previously thought. In addition to being a fascinating and 

unexpected aspect of our planet, TGFs also may shed light on the processes that 

trigger lightning in thunderstorms.

Firestation has the unique ability to observe thunderstorms at multiple 

wavelengths simultaneously. It can record the radio static from lightning, 

measure its optical glow (including the red and blue light of sprites and elves), 

and detect the gamma-rays and electrons associated with TGFs and antimatter 

events. The sensor was delivered to the ISS aboard the JAXA Kounotori-4 

spacecraft in August of 2013, and has an expected mission duration of one year.

Planned Future Payloads

Internal Payloads

METEOR [2014] 

Project Meteor’s mission objective is to fly a visible spectroscopy instrument to 

the ISS to observe meteors in Earth orbit. It is anticipated that Project Meteor 

will conduct operations for approximately two years from the date that in orbit 

operations commence. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will serve as the 

U.S. host and will conduct this experiment on behalf of Chiba Institute of 

Technology, which is based in Japan. 

Meteor spectra are commonly observed from the ground or aircraft by 

instruments pointing at the sky during a reliably known meteor shower. 

Meteors cross the field of view of the observer’s instrument and are recorded 

either photographically or electronically. Spectral measurements are made by 

a spectrograph, which records all wavelengths instantaneously. Investigators 

can then determine elemental abundances and temperatures by comparing 

known synthetic spectra to observed spectra. These ground or aircraft 

measurements, however, are limited to very short periods of observation time 

and small portions of the Earth’s atmosphere. Additionally, ground and aircraftbased meteor observations are limited by ozone absorption in the terrestrial 

atmosphere. This absorption masks the important organic carbon spectral 

emission. Satellite detectors can overcome these limits. Project Meteor will 

provide a continuous monitor of meteor interaction with the Earth’s atmosphere 

without limitations of the ozone absorption. The resultant data will be the first 
24

measurement of meteor flux and will allow for monitoring of carbon-based 

compounds. Investigation of meteor elemental composition is important to our 

understanding of how the planets developed.

External Payloads

High-Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) [2014] 

The High-Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) investigation places four different 

commercial high-definition cameras external to ISS on the Columbus External 

Facility. The payload will first test the capability to robotically remove a payload 

from the SPACEX3 trunk and place it on the nadir position of the Columbus 

External Payload Adapter (CEPA). The investigation will then assess the quality 

of the imagery over time in the harsh low-Earth orbit environment during the 

life-time of the payload.

The HDEV visible cameras are a fixed payload camera system that requires 

no zoom, no pan or tilt mechanisms. The four fixed cameras are targeted for 

imagery of the Earth’s surface and its terminators as seen from the ISS (i.e., 

one camera forward-pointed into the station’s velocity vector, two cameras 

aft [wake], and the other one camera pointing nadir). The video imagery is 

encoded into an Ethernet compatible format for transmit to the ground and 

further distribution. In this format, the video can be viewed from any computer 

connected to the internet.

The HDEV will operate one camera at a time. The HDEV is designed so that 

when the system is initially powered on, after a 1- to 2-minute warm-up period, 

the cameras will be turned on one at a time in a repeating cycle. The forwardlooking camera is powered first, followed by the Nadir and each aft looking 

camera, such that the HDEV video will “follow” a location on the Earth as the 

ISS passes overhead. This auto-cycle mode of the HDEV does not require any 

input from ground operators, so the HDEV can be operated any time that the 

ISS power and data resources are available without requiring a ground controller 

present to operate the payload. The only command required is the initial “power 

on” command, which is performed by ESA’s Columbus Control Center as 

scheduled by ISS Payload Operations.

Alternately as desired by ground controllers, the HDEV video can be 

commanded. Ground operators have the choice to change the cycle of the 
25

images noted in the auto-cycle mode (either changing which cameras are 

powered on, or changing the length of time they are powered on), or, if desired, 

ground controllers can command a single camera to remain powered on and for 

no auto-cycle to take place. 

The HDEV video will be available to the public over the internet, through 

a dedicated website under development by collaborators at the University of 

Houston-Clear Lake. The HDEV imagery will be displayed next to the ISS 

location map (showing where the ISS is located over the Earth as the video 

is viewed). The HDEV can be scheduled to be operated in support of special 

events, on request. Not all requests can be accommodated, but HD video of the 

Earth can be provided as resources permit.

Cloud Aerosol Transport System (CATS) [2014] 

CATS is a high spectral resolution LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) that 

uses a laser to gather data about clouds and aerosols. Aerosols are tiny particles 

in the atmosphere such as dust, smoke or pollution. Similar instruments on 

existing satellites, such as CALIPSO (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/

calipso/main/), can detect aerosol plumes but cannot determine what they are 

made of. CATS can better detect aerosol particle properties, allowing researchers 

to better determine what kind of aerosols the plumes are made of and improve 

studies of aerosol transport and cloud motion. In addition to advancing the 

scientific understanding of aerosols and their role in atmospheric processes and 

climate, CATS is intended to provide important technology and instrument 

demonstration for the future Aerosol-Cloud Ecosystems (ACE) satellite mission 

which is currently under study. A version of CATS will be installed on the ISS 

in mid-2014 (TBR). 

Stratospheric and Aerosol Gas Experiment III (SAGE) [2014] 

The SAGE III instrument is used to study ozone, a gas found in the upper 

atmosphere that acts as Earth’s sunscreen. More than 25 years ago, scientists 

realized there was a problem with Earth’s protective coat of ozone ... it was 

thinning. The SAGE family of instruments was pivotal in making accurate 

measurements of the amount of ozone loss in Earth’s atmosphere. SAGE 

instruments have also played a key role in measuring the onset of ozone 

recovery resulting from the internationally mandated policy changes that 

regulated chlorine-containing chemicals—the Montreal Protocol—which was 

passed in 1987.
26

Today, the SAGE technique is still the best for the job, and NASA scientists 

are preparing to send a SAGE III instrument to ISS. More specifically, 

SAGE III - ISS will provide global, long-term measurements of key components 

of the Earth’s atmosphere. The most important of these are the vertical 

distribution of aerosols and ozone from the upper troposphere through the 

stratosphere. In addition, SAGE III also provides unique measurements of 

temperature in the stratosphere and mesosphere and profiles of trace gases, such 

as water vapor and nitrogen dioxide,that play significant roles in atmospheric 

radiative and chemical processes.

Instead of flying on an unmanned satellite, SAGE III will be mounted to the 

ISS where it will operate alongside experiments from all over the world in the 

space-based laboratory. The orbital path of ISS will help maximize the scientific 

value of SAGE III observations.

Multi-User System for Earth Viewing (MUSES) [2014] 

The Multi-User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) is an Earth-imaging 

platform designed to host earth-looking instruments, such as high-resolution 

digital cameras, and provide precision pointing and other accommodations. It 

can host up to four instruments simultaneously and offers the ability to change, 

upgrade, and robotically service those instruments. MUSES will help expand the 

research capability of the space station and provide commercial companies as well 

as government researchers with a cost-effective means to collect Earth images. 

RapidScat [2014]

NASA’s ISS-RapidScat instrument will launch to the ISS in 2014 to measure 

ocean surface, wind speed and direction, and help improve weather forecasts, 

including hurricane monitoring. It will be installed on the end of the station’s 

Columbus Laboratory. The ISS-RapidScat instrument is a speedy and costeffective replacement for NASA’s QuikScat Earth satellite, which monitored 

ocean winds to provide essential measurements used in weather predictions such 

as hurricane monitoring. So essential were QuikScat’s measurements that when 

the satellite stopped collecting wind data in late 2009, NASA was challenged to 

quickly and cost-effectively conceive of a replacement. NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory and the agency’s Space Station Program came up with a solution that 

uses the framework of the ISS and reuses hardware originally built to test parts 

of QuikScat to create an instrument for a fraction of the cost and time it would 

take to build and launch a new satellite. 
27

Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-3) [2016] 

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory - 3 (OCO-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). 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 

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.

Lightning Imager Sensor LIS [2016] 

The Lightning Imaging Sensor is a small, highly sophisticated instrument that 

detects and locates lightning over the tropical regions of the globe. Looking 

down from a vantage point aboard the ISS above the Earth, the sensor will 

provide information that could lead to future advanced lightning sensors 

capable of significantly improving weather “nowcasting,” and will also support 

data collected by atmospheric sensors on the ISS operated by ESA and JAXA.

The Lightning Imaging Sensor promises to expand scientists’ capabilities for 

surveying lightning and thunderstorm activity on a global scale. The lightning 

detector is a compact combination of optical and electronic elements including 

a staring imager capable of locating and detecting lightning within individual 

storms. The imager’s field of view allows the sensor to observe a point on the 
28

Earth or a cloud for 80 seconds, a sufficient time to estimate the flashing rate, 

which tells researchers whether a storm is growing or decaying.

The sensor was developed by the Global Hydrology Center at NASA’s Marshall 

Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., in conjunction with Lockheed Martin, 

Palo Alto, Calif., and Kaiser Electro Optics, Carlsbad, Calif. The sensor provides 

information on cloud characteristics, storm dynamics, and seasonal as well 

as yearly variability of thunderstorms. The sensor studies both day and night 

cloud-to-ground, cloud-to-cloud and intra-cloud lightning and its distribution 

around the globe.

The staring imager is made of an expanded optics lens system that provides a 

wide field of view and a narrow-band filter which minimizes background light. 

A highspeed, charge-coupled device detection array behaves similarly to the 

retina of the human eye by creating an image of the lightning event and the 

background scene. A real-time event processor then extracts the signal, thus 

determining when a lightning flash occurs.

The optics lens system allows lightning detection even in the presence of 

bright, sunlit clouds. Weak lightning signals that occur during the day are hard 

to detect because of background illumination. This system will remove the 

background signal, enabling the detection of 90 percent of all lightning strikes. 

Data recorded includes the time of a lightning event, its radiant energy—how 

bright the lightning flash is—and an estimate of the lightning location.

Future Earth-Observing Sensors 

CASIS, in conjunction with NASA, continues to solicit ideas for new sensors 

that can take advantage of the ISS as a remote-sensing platform. In the future, 

multi-user sensors including multi- and hyper spectral imagers might be 

developed and become available for Earth-observing applications.

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

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 

Spaceflight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL. However, some payload support is 
29

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), 

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 WORF rack is also managed by the MSFC POIC. The Payload 

Operations Center integrates research requirements, planning science mis¬sions 

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 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 scien¬tific instruments 

deployed on the space station. Since 2001, the center has worked with 1,309 

scientific investigators performing 1,251 research investigations. The Payload 

Operations Center is staffed around the clock by three shifts of flight controllers. 

In addition, staff and facilities at JSC help support Earth Observation 

payloads through JSC’s Remote Sensing Office within the ARES directorate. 

This organization includes the CEO group that is responsible for generating image 

target lists for the ISS crew, reviewing all imagery acquired, cataloging the processed 

imagery, and availing all imagery to the public via the website (http://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 CEO and NASA in general. The Remote Sensing Office also coordinates 

disaster response among the ISS remote-sensing payloads 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), Orbital Sciences (Taurus), JAXA (HTV), ESA Roscosmos (Progress), and 

ESA (ATV). For more details, please see the ISS Reference Guide (http://www.nasa.

gov/mission_pages/station/news/).
30

Lessons Learned

As an orbital, Earth-viewing platform, success or failure to collect data is dependent 

on several factors both internal and external to the ISS. Cloud cover can frequently 

preclude useful data collection 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 not only involve the 

environmental viewing constraints, but also limitations imposed by the crew’s 

work schedule, including the time required for payload installation and tradeouts. 

Data downlink capacity must also be carefully evaluated when considering 

instruments or measurements with high data volume observations and timesensitive data collection.

Precision targeting from the WORF was also an issue for ISAAC because of their 

inability to access the full temporal resolution ISS position feed (1 Hz). ISERV has 

had similar issues with focus of their telescope and camera as well as data downlink. 

While solutions to these issues are being pursued within the ISS operational and 

design community, these are potential issues payload designers should take into 

consideration prior to launch of their instruments.

The sun is captured by photo as a spectacular starburst over Earth’s horizon. The Expedition 36 crew aboard the International 

Space Station captured this sunny display while flying over southwestern Minnesota in the United States on May 21, 2013. 
31

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.

Facilities

Seen through the windows of the Cupola on the space station, this neon-colored composite of the lights of Earth and a few outward star trails uses multiple photos to produce an other worldy effect similar to a “lightspeed” effect in a science fiction movie.
32

ISS Windows
33
34

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. Potential proposers of instruments that require specific window 

properties or fields of view are strongly encouraged to contact the International 

Space Station Research Integration Office, or the International Space Station 

Program Science Office early in the conceptual design process in order to verify 

that the desired viewing locations are appropriate and available. Both offices can be 

contacted through jsc-iss-research-helpline@mail.nasa.gov. 

Internal Facilities

Window Observational Research Facility (WORF)

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. 

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. WORF is a multipurpose facility that provides structural support 

hardware, avionics, thermal conditioning, and optical quality protection in support 
35

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 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. At 

present, the WORF can provide an average downlink data rate on the order 

of 2 Mbps, although 

this is being improved 

with communications 

infrastructure improvements 

to ISS. Investigators can 

operate their payloads 

autonomously at their 

institution, with up- and 

downlink data going 

through the Huntsville 

Operations Support Center 

at MSFC in Huntsville, 

AL. The general design 

philosophy of WORF favors 

autonomous payloads, but 

crew members can operate 

payloads from the Destiny 

Laboratory aisle using an 

externally mounted laptop 

computer.

Image of the Window Observational 

Research Facility (WORF) rack after 

installation in Multi-Purpose Logistics 

Module (MPLM) Port Bay 2. View of WORF 

rack in MPLM Port Bay 2. 
36

External Facilities

The subject of the first test image from the WORF was British Columbia’s snow-capped mountains and coastline in western 

Canada. The image, captured with a 50 millimeter lens 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 

(124 miles) by 134 kilometers (83 miles). (source: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/EarthKAM/)
37

Columbus [ESA]

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 will hold a mass of 

up to 290 kg, and provide 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. In the future the Atomic Clocks 

Ensemble in Space (ACES) investigation holding two high-precision atomic clocks 

and the Atmosphere Space Interaction Monitor (ASIM) will be installed on the 

lower, Earth-facing external attachment sites.

Kibo [JAXA]

The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), known as “Kibo” (pronounced key-bow), 

which means “hope” in Japanese, is Japan’s first manned space experiment facility, 

and 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. In Kibo, a maximum of four astronauts can perform experimental activities. 

Currently educational, cultural, and commercial uses of Kibo are also planned.

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 as it enables long-term experiments in open space 

as well as Earth and astronomical observations. The PM is equipped with an 

airlock, allowing astronauts to move an experiment device directly from the PM 

to the EF, and vice-versa, through the airlock by manipulating the Kibo’s robotic 

arm (JEM-RMS). Kibo’s docking and assembly operations have been completed 

Columbus EF resources

Location Viewing Payload Size Power Data

SOZ Zenith 226kg 

+CEPA

1.25 kW at 

120VDC

2.5 kW max

Ethernet 1553

SOX Ram

SDX Ram

SDN Nadir
38

as the Pressurized Module was assembled in June 2008, and the Exposed Facility 

in July 2009. Kibo provides extensive opportunities for utilization of the space 

environment as well as Earth remote sensing investigations.

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, 4 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.

JEM External resources

ELC External Research Accommodations

JEM EF 

Resources

Mass Capacity 550 kg (1150 lb) at standard site

2250 kg (5550 lb) at large site

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

ELC Single 

Adapter Resources

Mass capacity 227 kg (500 lb)

Volume 1 m3

Power 750 W, 113 – 126 Vdc; 500 W at 

28Vdc 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
39

The medium rate data interface will be updated at each ELC location to 100 Mbps 

two-way wireless LAN.

Small Satellite Deployment

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.

ISS Pointing, Interface, and Environmental Information

This information is presented in Hornyak (2013), in the sections ISS 

Accommodations – Software and Avionics, ISS Command and Data Handling; and 

ISS Characteristics [note to editor, not sure how best to call this out and/or link 

within the mini-book format, so doing it in scientific journal style].

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
40

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 in Hornyak 

(2013), in the sections Transportation to ISS, and Payload Integration Process 

[note to editor, not sure how best to call this out and/or link within the minibook format, so doing it in scientific journal style]. In general, NASA funding for 

space station use is obtained through NASA Research Announcements (NRAs). 

National Laboratory funding for other government agencies, private, and nonprofit use of the space station is obtained through research opportunities released by 

CASIS. Space Station International Partner funding can be obtained through their 

prospective processes. (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/ops/

funding_information.html). Potential proposers to any program 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. The Program’s portfolio of projects deliver 

results in applying NASA Earth science to support improvements in aviation safety, 

malaria early warning, agricultural productivity, water management, earthquake 

response, and many other important topics.

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 

Funding, Developing and 

Launching Research to ISS
41

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.

NASA SMD/Earth Venture (EV)

The Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Program 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 (EVI) and sub-orbital projects (EVS).

(http://science.nasa.gov/about-us/smd-programs/earth-system-science-pathfinder/)

CASIS

In 2011 NASA finalized a cooperative agreement with the Center for the 

Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to manage the portion of the 

International Space Station that operates as a U.S. national laboratory. CASIS is 

located in the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in 

Florida. The independent, nonprofit research management organization will help 

ensure the station’s unique capabilities are available to the broadest possible crosssection of U.S. scientific, technological and industrial communities. 
42

CASIS 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 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. 

Other Government Agencies

Potential funding for research on the ISS is also available via governmental 

partnerships with CASIS and includes such government agencies as:

• Naval Research Lab (NRL)

• National Science Foundation (NSF)

• US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

International Funding Sources

One of the most unique and integral aspects of the ISS is 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 experimental opportunities for all. These organizations – the Japan 

Aerospace Exploration Space Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), 

European Space Agency (ESA), and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), 

provide potential funding opportunities for international scientists from many 

diverse disciplines.
43

Amsbury D.L. United States Manned Observations of Earth before the Space 

Shuttle, in Geocarto International – A Multi-Disciplinary Journal of Remote 

Sensing, ed. by John E. Estes, vol 4, no 1, March 1989, pp. 7-14

Andréfouët S., Robinson J.A., Hu C, Salvat B, Payri C, Muller-Karger FE. 

Influence of the spatial resolution of SeaWiFS, Landsat 7, SPOT and International 

Space Station data on landscape parameters of Pacific Ocean atolls. Canadian 

Journal of Remote Sensing. 2003; 29:210–218.

Evans, C.A., Lulla, K. P., Dessinov, L.V., Glazovskiy, N.F., Kasimov, N.S., and 

Knizhnikov, Yu. F. Shuttle-Mir Earth Science Investigations: Studying Dynamic 

Earth Environments from the Mir Space Station, in Dynamic Earth Environments 

– Remote Sensing Observations from Shuttle-Mir Missions. Ed. Lulla, K.P. and 

Dessinov, L.V., 2000, 1-14.

Farr, T. G., et al., The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, Rev. Geophys., 2007; 45, 

RG2004, doi:10.1029/2005RG000183.

Gebelein, J., Eppler D., How Earth remote sensing from the International Space 

Station complements current satellite-based sensors. Int. J. Rem. Sens. 27(13), 

2613–2629 (2006)

Green K., Jackson M.W., Timeline of key developments in platforms and sensors 

for Earth observations, in Earth Observing Platforms & Sensors, Manual of 

Remote Sensing, ed. by M.W. Jackson, vol. 1.1, 3rd edn. (American Society for 

Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Bethesda, 2009), pp. 1–48

Hornyak D.M., A Researcher’s Guide to: International Space Station Technology 

Demonstration; NP-2013-06-008-JSC, 2013.

NASA JPL, Seeing Earth in a New Way – SIR-C/X-SAR, JPL 400-823 5/99

Scambos T., Sergienko O., Sargent A., MacAyeal D Fastook, J. 2005, ICES at 

profiles of tabular iceberg margins and iceberg breakups at low latitudes. Geophys. 

Research Letters, Vol 32, L23S09 2005.

Scambos T, Ross R, Bauer R, Yermolin Y, Skvarca P, Long D, Bohlander J, Haran 

T. Calving and ice-shelf break-up processes investigated by proxy: Antarctic tabular 

iceberg evolution during northward drift; Journal of Glaciology, Volume 54(187), 

2008; 579–591

Citations
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Stefanov W.L., Robinson J.A., Spraggins S.A. Vegetation Measurements From 

Digital Astronaut Photography. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, 

Remote Sensing, and Spatial Information Sciences. 2003; 24: 185-189

Stefanov, W.L. and Evans, C.A. (2013), The International Space Station: A Unique 

Platform for Remote Sensing of Natural Disasters. JSC Bienniel Research Report, 

in press

Stefanov, W.L., Evans, C.A., Runco, S.K., Wilkinson, M.J., and Willis, K. (2013) 

Astronaut photography: Handheld camera imagery from Low Earth Orbit. 

In Pelton, J.N., Madry, S., and Camacho-Lara, S. (eds.), Handbook of Satellite 

Applications. Springer, New York, pp. 683-728.

Wilkinson, M. J., A New class of landform, Dept. of Energy, Office of Biological 

and Environmental Research, Climate Change Research Division, Global Change 

Education Program (GCEP), Argonne National Lab., Chicago, June 2004.

Wilkinson, M. J., Astronaut handheld imagery and new science, Dept. of Energy, 

Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Climate Change Research 

Division, Global Change Education Program (GCEP), Tulane University, New 

Orleans, June 2005.

http://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/508318main_ISS_ref_guide_nov2010.pdf

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/695701main_Current_ISS_Utilization_Statistics.pdf

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/ops/funding_information.html

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/nlab/inlab_intro.html

http://science.nasa.gov/about-us/smd-programs/earth-system-science-pathfinder/

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/facilities_category.html

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/ISSRG
45

Acronyms

BAD Broadcast Ancillary Data

C&DH Command and Data Handling

CEPA Columbus External Payload Adapter

ECLSS Environmental Control & Life Support Systems

EEU Experimental Exchange Unit

ELC EXPRESS Logistics Carrier

ESA European Space Agency

EVA Extravehicular Activity (spacewalk)

EXPRESS Expedite the Processing of Experiments for Space Station Rack

FRAM Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism

ICD Interface Control Document

ICU Integrated Communications Unit

ISS International Space Station

JEM Japanese Experiment Module

JEM-EF JEM Exposed Facility

LEO Low Earth Orbit

LOS Loss of Signal

MCC Mission Control Center

MSS Mobile Servicing System

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

PIM Payload Integration Manager

PL MDM Payload Multiplexer De-Multiplexer

PRCU Payload Rack Checkout Unit

RIM Research Integration Manager

RMS Robotic Manipulator System

SE Safety Engineer

TDRSS Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System

TEA Torque Equilibrium Attitude

TREK Telescience Resource Kit

TRL Technology Readiness Levels

WORF Window Observational Research Facility
46

The Complete ISS Researcher’s 

Guide Series

1. Acceleration Environment

2. Cellular Biology

3. Combustion Science

4. Earth Observations

5. Fluid Physics

6. Fruit Fly Research

7. Fundamental Physics

8. Human Research

9. Macromolecular Crystal Growth

10. Microbial Research

11. Microgravity Materials Research

12. Plant Science

13. Rodent Research

14. Space Environmental Effects

15. Technology Demonstration

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47

For more information...

Space Station Science

http://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

Facilities

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/

facilities_category.html

ISS Interactive Reference Guide:

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/ISSRG/index.htm

Researchers/Opportunities

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/

ops/research_information.html

ISS Research Customer Helpline

JSC-ISS-research-helpline@mail.nasa.gov

281-244-6187

47
48

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Johnson Space Center

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson

www.nasa.gov

NP-2013-06-011-JSC