A Powerful Platform for Observing Our Oceans

This morning, attendees at the Ocean’s Conference & Exposition in Charleston, South Carolina participated in a live downlink with NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, who is currently onboard the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station). The downlink was moderated by Rear Admiral (RADM) Michael J. Silah, Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps) and NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.

Auñón-Chancellor and RADM Silah discussed how the space station enables important Earth observation studies, particularly research focused on our planet’s oceans.

From the unique vantage point of the ISS National Lab, investigators can conduct a wide variety of oceans-related research, such as assessing water quality, detecting coastal erosion, monitoring harmful algal blooms that contribute to red tide, tracking hurricanes and typhoons to improve storm intensity and path predictions, and improving the tracking of global maritime traffic and monitoring of ships in open water.

See below to learn more about some of the ways the ISS National Lab is being leveraged as a powerful platform for Earth observation, oceans, and sustainability research.