About the Photos

Astronauts have used hand-held cameras to photograph the Earth for more than 30 years, beginning with the Mercury missions in the early 1960s. Crewmembers on NASA missions have taken nearly 450,000 photographs with Hasselblad, Linhof, Rolleiflex, and Nikon hand-held cameras. About 85 percent of these photographs are Earth-looking views. The rest show satellite deployments, extra-vehicular activities, and astronaut activities in the cabin. At right is reduced-resolution detail of a photograph of the island of Antigua, taken from the Space Shuttle (STS064-76-BB).

Astronauts are trained in scientific observation of ecological, geological, geographic, oceanographic, environmental, and meteorological phenomena. They are also instructed in the use of photographic equipment and techniques. Preflight training helps the astronauts make informed decisions on which areas and phenomena to photograph. Specific areas of scientific interest are selected before each flight by a group of scientists. The astronauts receive intensive training, in-flight aids, and messages from the ground to help them locate these sites that are of scientific interest. At left Astronaut Candidates participate in Earth Science training.