Rapid algae growth can lead to the release of toxins that turn the water red and are harmful to both humans and marine life. HICO data has been used in the detection of harmful algal blooms, which contribute to the occurrence of red tide in coastal areas worldwide. Media Credit: Image courtesy of HICO Team/Naval Research Laboratory Highlighted below are some ISS National Lab projects that have used HICO data for valuable Earth sciences research. One such instrument is the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO), which collected more than 10,000 images of Earth while in operation on the ISS from 2009 until 2014. Several instruments can be used on the ISS for Earth observation-from high-resolution cameras that provide striking visual images to advanced imaging systems such as hyperspectral and thermal sensors that provide remote sensing data on a wide variety of phenomena. Read on to discover some of the ways researchers are leveraging the ISS National Lab to study the Earth. Studying Earth’s oceans and waterways, landmasses, ecosystems, atmosphere, and weather, there is much we can learn about our planet by looking back on it from space. The orbit of the ISS takes it over almost all of the populated regions of our planet and provides views of a given location at different times of the day and year. Positioned in low Earth orbit, the space station provides a powerful platform to view our planet, enabling a wide range of Earth science research. As we celebrate Earth Science Week, we reflect on the important role the International Space Station (ISS) plays in studies of the Earth. “Earth as inspiration” is the theme of this year’s Earth Science Week, an international event started by the American Geosciences Institute in 1998 to instill in the public an improved understanding and appreciation of Earth sciences and encourage stewardship of our planet. Seeing Earth from this viewpoint served as an inspiration for humans to learn more about the planet we call home. This famous “Blue Marble” photo was taken by the crew of Apollo 17 as they left Earth’s orbit and headed to the moon. On December 7, 1972, humans were able to see our entire planet from afar for the first time-a beautiful blue orb hanging in the vast darkness of space, encapsulating all the life we’d ever known.
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