Media Information

 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Title:
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Original Caption Released with Image:
The John F. Kennedy Space Center, America's spaceport, is located along Florida's eastern shore on Cape Canaveral. Established as NASA's Launch Operations Center on July 1, 1962, the center has been the site of launching all U.S. human space flight missions, from the early days of Project Mercury to the space shuttle and the next generation of vehicles. In addition, the center is home to NASA's Launch Services Program, which coordinates all expendable vehicle launches carrying a NASA payload.

With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet.

ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products.

The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance.

The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

Size: 32.6 by 51.2 kilometers (20.2 by 32.2 miles)
Location: 28.6 degrees North latitude, 80.6 degrees West longitude
Orientation: North at top
Image Data: ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1
Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet)
Dates Acquired: April 26, 2006
Image Credit:
NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDA C/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
Produced By:
JPL
Mission:
Earth Observing System (EOS)
Spacecraft:
Terra
Target Name:
Earth
Is a satellite of:
Sol (our sun)
Instrument:
ASTER
Product Size:
2176 samples x 3416 lines
facet_what:
Mercury
facet_what:
Sun
facet_what:
Earth
facet_what:
Terra
facet_what:
Earth Observing System
facet_what:
EOS
facet_what:
ASTER
facet_what:
Space Shuttle Orbiter
facet_where:
Mercury
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
facet_where:
Florida
facet_where:
Japan
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where:
Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
facet_when:
December 18, 1999
facet_when:
July 1, 1962
facet_when:
April 26, 2006
facet_when_year:
1999
facet_when_year:
2006
facet_when_year:
1962
Image #:
PIA01918
UID:
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA01918
orignial url:

John F. Kennedy Space Center