Sep 21 2009
ESA will soon start looking for ideas to use the International Space Station as a platform to conduct research into global climate change.
Using the ISS as a platform to conduct research into global climate change
The International Space Station (ISS) is a permanently manned orbital platform with a permanent crew of six. Its assembly will be completed next year, providing a multipurpose research facility in low orbit until 2015 and possibly beyond.
Europe’s scientific community is already using the ISS in a multitude of areas such as life and microgravity sciences, and now Earth science and climate change initiatives are to be considered too. Potentially, the ISS can be used as an observation platform for studies into global change, supplementing observations from dedicated satellites.
Instruments can be attached outside the Station, especially on Europe’s Columbus module, as well as positioned inside to view through windows. The orbit inclination of 51.6° and altitude of 350–400 km is different to those of most Earth observation satellites, offering different viewing geometry and ground passes.
This October, ESA plans to issue a ‘Call for Ideas’ to gauge the interest in deploying remote-sensing instruments for global change studies on the ISS. Depending on the level of interest and the suitability of the research proposals, it may be followed by a specific Announcement of Opportunity for instruments or multi-user payloads.