high resolution 1000 pixel-wide image
Agricultural activities and mining occur side-by-side in the Republic of
Kazakhstan. This scene is located in the Turgayskaya Oblast of central
Kazakhstan, near the provincial capital of Arkalyk, where Russian
spacecraft landings occur. The large, mostly square fields are probably
spring wheat, one of the cereal grains that grows well in the cold, dry
climate. The colorful, irregular patterns on the left side of the
image appear to be surface-mining operations where water has accumulated
to form small lakes. Bauxite and asbestos are the principal minerals
extracted in this region.
Digital photograph STS112-E-6013
was acquired by the crew of STS-112 on October 17, 2002, with a 400mm lens.
It was provided by the Earth Sciences and Image
Analysis Laboratory at Johnson Space Center. Additional images taken by
astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA-JSC Gateway to
Astronaut Photography of Earth.