Abstract In the next decade and perhaps as early as 1994, a space station will carry an international team of scientists and engineers into low equatorial orbit (28.5 degrees) much like the shuttle missions are flown today. While the shuttle flights have successfully demonstrated new tools such as the Shuttle Multispectral Infrared Radiometer (SMIRR), Large Format Camera (LFC) and Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A and B) they have been of limited value to the operational needs of the earth science community, especially those located outside of the orbital path. In spite of this, it behooves the earth science community to begin defining experiments, instruments and observational objectives in preparation for the day when space stations can operate for long periods of time, at low-equatorial, high-polar and eventually, geosynchronous orbits. Observational experiments and instruments in concert with unmanned satellite records should be defined that focus on surface changes such as greening and senescence of vegetation, rain and snowfall, surface wetness, floods, plankton and algae blooms, sea and glacier ice movement, volcanic eruptions, landslides and avalanches, forest and range fires 〈natural and man-made〉, deforestation, and other dynamic environmental phenomena. If these can be observed and recorded on a global basis with better instruments than we have today we may be able to improve disaster warning and forecasting techniques as well as develop a better understanding of global change and its effects on mankind.
Earth science missions for the space station
Advances in Space Research ; 7 , 3 ; 101-106
01.01.1987
6 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
Optimization of earth-orbiting space station missions
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