The Kibo laboratory module from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (comprised of a pressurized module and exposed facility, a logistics module, a remote manipulator system and an inter-orbit communication system unit) pictured as the International Space Station orbits over the southern Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Everyone on Earth is touched by the effects of climate change, such as hotter temperatures, shifts in rain patterns, and sea level rise. Collecting climate data helps communities better plan for these changes and build more resilience to them.<\/p>\n
The International Space Station, one of dozens of NASA missions contributing to this effort, has multiple instruments collecting various types of climate-related data. Because the station\u2019s orbit passes over 90 percent of Earth\u2019s population and circles the planet 16 times each day, these instruments have views of multiple locations at different times of day and night. The data inform climate decisions and help scientists understand and solve the challenges created by climate change.<\/p>\n
While crew members have little involvement in the ongoing operation of these instruments, they do play a critical role in unpacking hardware when it arrives at the space station and in assembling and installing the instruments via spacewalks or using the station\u2019s robotic arm.<\/p>\n
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This ECOSTRESS evapotranspiration image of California\u2019s Central Valley from May 22, 2022, shows high water use (blue) and dry conditions (brown).<\/div>\n
One investigation on the orbiting lab that contributes to efforts to monitor and address climate change is ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS<\/strong>). It provides thermal infrared measurements of Earth\u2019s surface that help answer questions about water stress in plants and how specific regions respond to climate change. Research confirmed the accuracy of ECOSTRESS surface estimates1<\/sup> and found that the process of photosynthesis in plants begins to fail at 46.7 degrees C (114 degrees F).2<\/sup> Average temperatures have increased 0.5 degrees C per decade in some tropical regions, and temperature extremes are becoming more pronounced. Rainforests are a primary producer of oxygen and, without sufficient mitigation of the effects of climate change, leaf temperatures in these tropical forests soon could approach this failure threshold.<\/p>\n
The Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS<\/strong>) measures total solar irradiance (TSI) and solar spectral irradiance (SSI). TSI is the total solar energy input to Earth and SSI measures the Sun\u2019s energy in individual wavelengths. Energy from the Sun drives atmospheric and oceanic circulations on Earth, and knowing its magnitude and variability is essential to understanding Earth\u2019s climate. Researchers verified the instrument\u2019s performance and showed that it made more accurate measurements than previous instruments.3,4<\/sup> TSIS maintains a continuity of nearly 40 years of data on solar irradiance from space-based observations.<\/p>\n
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