The International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Monday, May 21, 2012

COMPOSITE PHOTO FROM THE ISF


FROM:  NASA
This is a composite of a series of images photographed from a mounted camera on the Earth-orbiting International Space Station, from approximately 240 miles above Earth. Space station hardware in the foreground includes the Mini-Research Module (MRM1, center) and a Russian Progress vehicle docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment (right). Expedition 31 Flight Engineer Don Pettit said of the photographic techniques used to achieve the images: "My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, then 'stack' them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure." A total of 47 images photographed by the astronaut-monitored stationary camera were combined to create this composite. Image Credit: NASA

Friday, May 18, 2012

JAXA'S GLOBAL CHANGE OBSERVATION MISSION


FROM:  JAXA
Publisher :
 Public Affairs Department
 Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
 Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building,
 1-6-5, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8260 Japan
 TEL:+81-3-6266-6400
May 18, 2012 (JST)

Global Change Observation Mission 1st - Water "SHIZUKU" (GCOM-W1)
AMSR2 Antenna Deployment

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the Global Change
Observation Mission 1st - Water "SHIZUKU" (GCOM-W1) successfully deployed the
antenna of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2)* via image data
received at the Katsuura Tracking and Communication station.

The satellite is currently in good health.

* : Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer2 (AMSR2)
The AMSR2 measures electromagnetic waves called microwaves (six bandwidths
between 7 GHz and 89 GHz) emitted from nature, such as the ground and ocean
surface as well as objects in the atmosphere, to observe eight  geophysical
parameters (integrated water vapor, integrated cloud liquid water,
precipitation, sea surface temperature, sea surface wind speed, sea ice
concentration, snow depth, soil moisture content).