Abstract: Photography from Manned Spacecraft*

By

Richard W. Underwood

A series of color photographs taken by astronauts, from manned spacecraft clearly show the Earth's principal physiographic and structural features. A photographic trip around the Earth shows geological features at distances between 160 kilometers and 400,000 kilometers.

Examples of applications of photography in space include (1) Engineering photography taken in space as "steppingstones to the moon," (2) Apollo 11 photography to relive the historic hour at Tranquility Base on July 20-21, 1969, and (3) color photography from Apollo 12 through 17. Striking color photographs from the latter missions are important in examining the explorations and experiments made by astronauts on the moon. A sequence of views from the current Skylab flights show astronomic studies and geoscience applications.

Geoscientific applications of space photography are demonstrated in Cartography, Meteorology, Oceanography, Agricultural Sciences, Land Development, Civil Engineering, Air and Water Pollution, Structural Geology, and Mineral Exploration. The potential value of these applications to human welfare is very great.

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