From their perch on the International Space Station, astronauts have spent twenty years sharing a story about Earth as they can see it from above. Like the directors of any film, those astronaut storytellers have a crew working behind the scenes to help them tell that story. Meet the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit (ESRS), the researchers who guide astronauts as they observe and document changes on Earth and then make those photographs accessible to scientists and the public.

Learn more about astronaut photography and the ESRS team in parts 1 & 2 in the series:
Picturing Earth: Astronaut Photography in Focus
Picturing Earth: Window On The World

Transcript/Subtitle file

Writers and producers: Kathryn Hansen and Michael Carlowicz
Footage contributed by Pola Lem
Images: Astronaut photographs are provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. Action video from ISS provided by NASA Johnson Space Center. Visit the EO astronaut photography collection and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit.
Music: “Futuristic Science Technology” by FLUSH303 December 1, 2020