WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.339 You know, when we think about understanding Earth's 00:00:03.339 --> 00:00:05.620 really wild weather patterns, most of us probably 00:00:05.620 --> 00:00:08.359 picture looking up, right? Yeah, up at the sky, 00:00:08.699 --> 00:00:11.679 tracking clouds, feeling the wind. Exactly. Observing 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:14.699 the rain. But what if the real secret, the key 00:00:14.699 --> 00:00:17.820 to cracking those incredibly complex atmospheric 00:00:17.820 --> 00:00:21.379 puzzles isn't about gazing upwards from, you 00:00:21.379 --> 00:00:23.440 know, our backyard? What if it's looking down? 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:25.960 Right. Looking down from space. It sounds a bit 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:28.379 counterintuitive, maybe? A little, yeah. But 00:00:28.379 --> 00:00:31.910 there's this surprisingly profound and honestly 00:00:31.910 --> 00:00:35.990 absolutely critical link between aerospace, all 00:00:35.990 --> 00:00:38.530 those innovations, and the everyday weather forecast 00:00:38.530 --> 00:00:40.630 we all check on our phones. It's a completely 00:00:40.630 --> 00:00:42.570 different viewpoint, isn't it? It offers a level 00:00:42.570 --> 00:00:46.189 of data observation that you simply can't get 00:00:46.189 --> 00:00:48.850 from the ground. Exactly. Imagine seeing entire 00:00:48.850 --> 00:00:51.590 storm systems developing and moving across whole 00:00:51.590 --> 00:00:53.929 continents. Wow. Or observing that intricate 00:00:53.929 --> 00:00:56.850 dance of atmospheric currents, ocean dynamics. 00:00:57.170 --> 00:01:00.200 You're a global sentinel, truly. The higher we 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:02.460 go, the more detailed, the more holistic our 00:01:02.460 --> 00:01:05.379 understanding becomes of our own planet's climate 00:01:05.379 --> 00:01:08.400 systems. They're so delicate. And that kind of 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:10.799 groundbreaking exploration is exactly what we're 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:12.900 embarking on today, right here on the Meteorology 00:01:12.900 --> 00:01:16.180 Matters podcast. Our deep dive today, it's centered 00:01:16.180 --> 00:01:19.739 on a truly historic moment, one that beautifully 00:01:19.739 --> 00:01:22.819 weaves together a lifelong personal dream with 00:01:22.969 --> 00:01:25.730 Well, crucial scientific advancement. And that's 00:01:25.730 --> 00:01:28.349 the journey of Deborah Martirell. Yes, set to 00:01:28.349 --> 00:01:30.469 become the first meteorologist to travel into 00:01:30.469 --> 00:01:33.629 space. So we're going to unpack her incredible 00:01:33.629 --> 00:01:36.250 path, the challenges she overcame, and then crucially, 00:01:36.530 --> 00:01:38.689 we'll delve into how observing our planet from 00:01:38.689 --> 00:01:41.909 orbit is fundamentally revolutionizing our grasp 00:01:41.909 --> 00:01:45.069 of weather and climate right here on Earth. It 00:01:45.069 --> 00:01:48.810 really is a story of perseverance, passion. and 00:01:48.810 --> 00:01:51.230 a real shift in how we approach meteorology. 00:01:51.430 --> 00:01:53.489 It is. And what's really striking about Deborah's 00:01:53.489 --> 00:01:55.349 story, I think, is that it's not just about her 00:01:55.349 --> 00:01:57.829 own achievement, which is monumental, obviously. 00:01:57.909 --> 00:02:00.870 Oh, huge. But it's also about the direct, tangible 00:02:00.870 --> 00:02:03.730 impact this kind of experience and all the ongoing 00:02:03.730 --> 00:02:06.150 space -based research has on our daily lives. 00:02:06.590 --> 00:02:09.060 Right. This work influences everything. from 00:02:09.060 --> 00:02:12.439 how accurate your local storm warning is to the 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:15.240 big global models that help us understand and 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:17.800 respond to climate change. So let's pull back 00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:20.180 the curtain. Let's start with the trailblazing 00:02:20.180 --> 00:02:22.919 path of Deborah Martirell herself. We're talking 00:02:22.919 --> 00:02:25.419 about a Puerto Rican journalist, a meteorologist 00:02:25.419 --> 00:02:28.699 with over three decades of experience. 30 years, 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:31.259 yeah. A long distinguished career already. But 00:02:31.259 --> 00:02:33.319 what really sets her journey apart is that this 00:02:33.830 --> 00:02:36.590 space thing. It isn't just some recent ambition. 00:02:36.770 --> 00:02:39.409 She's talked about how traveling to space, becoming 00:02:39.409 --> 00:02:42.009 an astronaut, has been a dream she's held onto 00:02:42.009 --> 00:02:44.189 since she was a little girl. Can you imagine 00:02:44.189 --> 00:02:47.090 carrying that dream, nurturing it, for decades? 00:02:47.490 --> 00:02:50.129 It's profoundly inspiring, really. She often 00:02:50.129 --> 00:02:52.750 talks about how, as a kid, you know, she'd say 00:02:52.750 --> 00:02:54.370 she wanted to be an astronaut. And people would 00:02:54.370 --> 00:02:56.889 just laugh or dismiss it. Yeah, dismiss it as 00:02:56.889 --> 00:02:58.969 a joke. Or even worse, they'd tell her flat out, 00:02:59.050 --> 00:03:01.870 that's not a job for women. So disheartening. 00:03:02.349 --> 00:03:05.789 Yet here she is, 54 years old, and she's seeing 00:03:05.789 --> 00:03:09.150 this extraordinary dream actually become reality. 00:03:09.409 --> 00:03:11.569 It's way more than just a personal win, isn't 00:03:11.569 --> 00:03:13.750 it? It's such a powerful testament to the idea 00:03:13.750 --> 00:03:17.770 that age is just. It's no barrier, not when it 00:03:17.770 --> 00:03:20.870 comes to achieving these deep, long -held dreams. 00:03:21.050 --> 00:03:23.590 Her persistence just speaks volumes. And her 00:03:23.590 --> 00:03:26.080 message really hits home, doesn't it? Don't let 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:27.840 anyone tell you that you can't do what you want 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:30.120 to do in life. You can achieve anything you want. 00:03:30.259 --> 00:03:32.419 That's powerful. Especially when you think about 00:03:32.419 --> 00:03:34.919 her path. Yeah. It wasn't exactly a straight 00:03:34.919 --> 00:03:38.180 line from the news desk to forecasting hurricanes. 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:40.539 Not at all. Her career path is quite something. 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:43.159 A real testament to adaptability and passion, 00:03:43.379 --> 00:03:44.819 I think. Definitely. She started out studying 00:03:44.819 --> 00:03:47.240 communication and journalism. University of Puerto 00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:50.120 Rico, Rio Piedras campus. Right. Then, fresh 00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:53.039 out of university, 1992, she jumps into media, 00:03:53.580 --> 00:03:57.280 reporter, producer for WKAQ Radio Reloy, a really 00:03:57.280 --> 00:03:59.479 high -energy news station. And then TV? Yeah, 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:02.139 just two years later, makes the leap to television, 00:04:02.860 --> 00:04:05.379 WAPI television, as a reporter, covering all 00:04:05.379 --> 00:04:07.979 sorts of stories. So she was already deep in 00:04:07.979 --> 00:04:10.599 the media world, a seasoned journalist. What 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:12.919 was it? What was that pivotal moment that made 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:15.319 her shift like her whole career direction towards 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:20.269 meteorology? visceral experience that really 00:04:20.269 --> 00:04:22.930 reshaped her focus. It was her coverage of Hurricane 00:04:22.930 --> 00:04:26.329 George's back in 1998. Ah, George's. I remember 00:04:26.329 --> 00:04:29.110 that one. Devastating. Absolutely. And later, 00:04:29.110 --> 00:04:31.990 Tropical Storm Gene, too. Being right there on 00:04:31.990 --> 00:04:34.870 the ground, witnessing the raw power of those 00:04:34.870 --> 00:04:37.329 storms. Seeing the effects on communities. Exactly. 00:04:37.410 --> 00:04:40.610 It made her realize just how immensely important 00:04:40.610 --> 00:04:43.170 accurate, accessible climate coverage really 00:04:43.170 --> 00:04:46.110 is. That experience just solidified her resolve. 00:04:46.300 --> 00:04:48.439 you know, to dive deeper into the science. So 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:50.220 that's when she decided to study it formally. 00:04:50.339 --> 00:04:53.339 Yes. That led her to pursue a major in climate 00:04:53.339 --> 00:04:54.839 coverage at the University of Mississippi. That 00:04:54.839 --> 00:04:56.920 was the key decision. It set her on that specific 00:04:56.920 --> 00:05:00.420 path to becoming the, well, the respected meteorologist 00:05:00.420 --> 00:05:03.540 she is today. A real aha moment, born out of 00:05:03.540 --> 00:05:06.839 crisis. Pretty much. And now she's chief meteorologist 00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:09.459 and science reporter for TeleOne's and UNO radio 00:05:09.459 --> 00:05:13.300 group. Known for her ability to take really complex 00:05:13.300 --> 00:05:16.839 weather stuff, scientific data. Yeah. dense stuff. 00:05:17.079 --> 00:05:19.000 And just translate it, make it understandable, 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:21.620 relevant for everybody. That's a special skill, 00:05:22.279 --> 00:05:23.879 especially when it affects people's safety. What 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:27.040 it really is, communication is key in meteorology. 00:05:27.540 --> 00:05:30.879 And alongside that, her training for space, equally 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:33.040 impressive, quite a feat. Tell us about that, 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:35.720 the POSSUM project. Right, POSSUM stands for 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:37.839 Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere. 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:40.879 It's this highly specialized program run by the 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:43.100 International Institute of Astronautical Sciences. 00:05:43.540 --> 00:05:45.899 Okay. It's an international nonprofit focused 00:05:45.899 --> 00:05:49.139 on suborbital research. And Possum isn't just 00:05:49.139 --> 00:05:51.639 about giving people a ride, it actually trains 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:54.240 civilian scientists. prepares them to conduct 00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:56.519 real research during those brief space flights. 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:59.019 Though it's serious science. Very serious. Yeah. 00:05:59.100 --> 00:06:01.079 She mentioned the training involved an incredibly 00:06:01.079 --> 00:06:03.480 intense week right before the flight. Constant 00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:06.300 monitoring, lots of discussions. It's a big commitment, 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:09.000 not just to experience space, but to actually 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:13.019 contribute scientifically. And her personal motivation 00:06:13.019 --> 00:06:15.360 for taking these classes on, I read she waited 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:17.480 until her daughters were grown up. Yeah, she 00:06:17.480 --> 00:06:20.060 consciously waited until they entered adulthood. 00:06:20.759 --> 00:06:23.720 which I think says so much about balancing family 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:26.360 life while still holding onto a really personal, 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:28.920 long -held goal. Truly decades in the making 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:31.259 for her. It is. And what's also fascinating is 00:06:31.259 --> 00:06:33.680 just how much she was already involved with the 00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:36.360 space community long before her own flight was 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:39.040 on the cards. Like what? Well, she was the first 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:40.959 Puerto Rican journalist to get access to the 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:43.500 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Texas. Wow, 00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:47.180 JSC. Yeah. And get this, she had the chance to 00:06:47.180 --> 00:06:49.740 interview Puerto Rican astronaut Joseph Acaba 00:06:49.949 --> 00:06:52.170 while he was on the International Space Station. 00:06:52.569 --> 00:06:54.790 No way. That's amazing. Let's talk about full 00:06:54.790 --> 00:06:56.509 circle now that she's heading up there herself. 00:06:56.790 --> 00:06:59.009 Right. And she hasn't just interviewed astronauts. 00:06:59.370 --> 00:07:01.589 She's been on the ground covering major launches, 00:07:01.910 --> 00:07:04.910 like the first Puerto Rican nanosatellite, Cunard 00:07:04.910 --> 00:07:07.490 2. Oh, yeah. That was a big moment for Puerto 00:07:07.490 --> 00:07:10.310 Rican science. Huge. And she covered Artemis 00:07:10.310 --> 00:07:12.449 1 as well, that critical first step back towards 00:07:12.449 --> 00:07:15.000 the moon. So her connection runs deep. It does. 00:07:15.459 --> 00:07:17.180 And on top of all that, she serves as a solar 00:07:17.180 --> 00:07:19.540 system ambassador for the National Oceanic and 00:07:19.540 --> 00:07:22.560 Atmospheric Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 00:07:23.459 --> 00:07:27.500 JPL. So Noah's JPL, impressive. Her passion clearly 00:07:27.500 --> 00:07:30.800 goes way beyond just weather. It's a real dedication 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:33.899 to space, to exploration. And this dedication, 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:36.920 this skill in bridging complex science with public 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:40.560 understanding It hasn't gone unnoticed. The awards. 00:07:40.819 --> 00:07:43.180 Eight Emmy Awards for her environmental and space 00:07:43.180 --> 00:07:46.100 reporting and two awards of excellence in science 00:07:46.100 --> 00:07:48.339 reporting from the American Meteorological Society. 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:51.240 These really highlight her expertise, her unique 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:53.980 talent for making science compelling and understandable. 00:07:54.300 --> 00:07:56.740 Okay, so we've got the dream, the winding path, 00:07:56.860 --> 00:07:59.040 the intense training, the deep space connections, 00:07:59.300 --> 00:08:01.459 all leading up to this moment. Let's get into 00:08:01.459 --> 00:08:03.540 the nuts and bolts of the flight itself. When's 00:08:03.540 --> 00:08:05.339 it happening? What's the mission? All right. 00:08:05.420 --> 00:08:07.259 Her historic flight is scheduled for Sunday, 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:10.199 August 3rd. It'll launch from Blue Origin's private 00:08:10.199 --> 00:08:13.420 spaceport out in West Texas, near Van Horn. Blue 00:08:13.420 --> 00:08:16.519 Origin's New Shepard. That's the one. This specific 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:21.079 mission is designated NS34. It's the 34th overall 00:08:21.079 --> 00:08:23.819 flight for the New Shepard vehicle, and importantly, 00:08:24.259 --> 00:08:27.160 its 14th human flight. So they're building up 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:30.220 experience incrementally, but steadily. Exactly. 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:32.700 And she'll be part of that ongoing story of commercial 00:08:32.700 --> 00:08:34.580 spaceflight. Now the flight itself is pretty 00:08:34.580 --> 00:08:37.659 short, right? but incredibly impactful. Oh, absolutely. 00:08:37.860 --> 00:08:39.539 Lift off to touchdown. The whole thing is maybe 00:08:39.539 --> 00:08:42.320 10 to 12 minutes. Super intense. But in that 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:44.679 window. You get a few precious minutes of real 00:08:44.679 --> 00:08:48.460 weightlessness and then that view, that utterly 00:08:48.460 --> 00:08:51.039 breathtaking view of Earth curving away beneath 00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:54.519 you against the blackness of space. For a meteorologist, 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:57.809 someone who spends their life looking at pressure 00:08:57.809 --> 00:09:00.529 charts, wind patterns from the ground, to suddenly 00:09:00.529 --> 00:09:02.690 be floating, looking down at those systems. With 00:09:02.690 --> 00:09:05.370 no up or down yourself, it's got to be transformative, 00:09:05.649 --> 00:09:08.090 a complete shift in perspective. I can only imagine. 00:09:08.210 --> 00:09:09.950 And she's not going alone, right? Who else is 00:09:09.950 --> 00:09:12.149 on NS34? She's joined by five others. It's quite 00:09:12.149 --> 00:09:14.350 an eclectic crew, actually. You've got crypto 00:09:14.350 --> 00:09:17.649 billionaire H .E. Justin Sun, real estate investor 00:09:17.649 --> 00:09:21.009 and adventurer R .V. Bahal, a Turkish businessman 00:09:21.009 --> 00:09:24.809 and photographer Gokhan Erdem, an English orphanage 00:09:24.809 --> 00:09:28.509 runner named Lionel Pitchford. Wow. And an American 00:09:28.509 --> 00:09:31.070 entrepreneur, James J. D. Russell. He's actually 00:09:31.070 --> 00:09:33.210 flown before. This is his second time up. A very 00:09:33.210 --> 00:09:35.549 diverse group sharing that moment. It really 00:09:35.549 --> 00:09:38.029 reflects the changing face of space travel. And 00:09:38.029 --> 00:09:40.389 it's worth clarifying something about the announcement. 00:09:40.509 --> 00:09:42.470 Oh. Yeah, there was a little confusion initially. 00:09:42.970 --> 00:09:45.309 Her news broke mainly on social media, and some 00:09:45.309 --> 00:09:48.330 people linked it to Blue Origin's NS -31 mission. 00:09:49.049 --> 00:09:51.330 That was the all -female crew that flew back 00:09:51.330 --> 00:09:55.009 in April. 2025. Ah, okay. So that wasn't her 00:09:55.009 --> 00:09:57.169 flight. Right. Her confirmed flight is definitely 00:09:57.169 --> 00:10:00.690 NS 34, this mission, and her role as the first 00:10:00.690 --> 00:10:02.990 meteorologist. That's her historic moment. Got 00:10:02.990 --> 00:10:05.169 it. And there's a nice touch on the mission patch 00:10:05.169 --> 00:10:08.049 I read. Yeah, it's really lovely. The NS 34 patch 00:10:08.049 --> 00:10:10.370 actually features the shape of Puerto Rico. A 00:10:10.370 --> 00:10:13.590 nod to her home. Exactly. A symbol of her roots. 00:10:14.090 --> 00:10:16.730 And right in the center, there's a sun, a clear 00:10:16.730 --> 00:10:19.509 nod to her background in meteorology. It's a 00:10:19.509 --> 00:10:21.990 beautiful way to carry her identity, her profession 00:10:21.990 --> 00:10:25.210 with her. That really is special. So beyond the 00:10:25.210 --> 00:10:28.570 personal achievement, her mission has real scientific 00:10:28.570 --> 00:10:30.629 weight too, right? She's not just a passenger. 00:10:31.029 --> 00:10:33.629 Absolutely not. She's an active scientific contributor. 00:10:34.190 --> 00:10:36.710 She's taking up a scientific experiment. The 00:10:36.710 --> 00:10:38.730 details are still under wraps, apparently. OK. 00:10:39.149 --> 00:10:41.370 And also, maybe the most touching part, she's 00:10:41.370 --> 00:10:43.570 bringing a gravity indicator that was designed 00:10:43.570 --> 00:10:47.230 by students from the technology club of Dr. Carlos 00:10:47.230 --> 00:10:49.889 Gonzalez High School in Aguada, Puerto Rico. 00:10:50.129 --> 00:10:53.049 That is amazing, directly involving the next 00:10:53.049 --> 00:10:55.289 generation connecting their classroom right to 00:10:55.289 --> 00:10:58.250 space. Exactly. So she's not just reaching for 00:10:58.250 --> 00:11:01.870 her own dream. She's literally carrying the dreams, 00:11:02.070 --> 00:11:05.250 the aspirations of young Puerto Rican girls and 00:11:05.250 --> 00:11:08.190 women who look up at the stars. It's such a powerful 00:11:08.190 --> 00:11:10.389 image, paving the way, showing what's possible. 00:11:10.669 --> 00:11:13.649 Precisely. And her commitment goes further. She's 00:11:13.649 --> 00:11:15.889 pledged to involve the nonprofits she works with, 00:11:16.230 --> 00:11:18.610 making sure her journey plants seeds for the 00:11:18.610 --> 00:11:20.830 future in Puerto Rico. So it's bigger than just 00:11:20.830 --> 00:11:23.850 one flight. Much bigger. It's about sparking 00:11:23.850 --> 00:11:26.649 that passion for science, for exploration, ensuring 00:11:26.649 --> 00:11:28.789 her experience resonates and inspires a whole 00:11:28.789 --> 00:11:32.429 new generation of scientists, engineers, explorers. 00:11:32.909 --> 00:11:36.470 That ripple effect from one person's dream to 00:11:36.470 --> 00:11:39.210 this global scientific and inspirational impact. 00:11:39.899 --> 00:11:42.279 That's the thread connecting her flight to the 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:44.480 much bigger picture of watching our planet from 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:46.960 above. And that bigger picture, that larger tapestry, 00:11:47.100 --> 00:11:49.659 is exactly what we need to weave together now. 00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:51.980 Because Deborah Martirell's flight, historic 00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:55.500 as it is, it's part of this much broader, ongoing, 00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:58.399 massive effort to understand Earth from space. 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:00.519 The International Space Station, for example. 00:12:00.980 --> 00:12:03.960 Orbiting, what, 250 miles up? Around that. It's 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:06.259 essentially become our most crucial celestial 00:12:06.259 --> 00:12:08.539 weather station. It really has. The ISS gives 00:12:08.539 --> 00:12:10.779 us this unparalleled vantage point for watching 00:12:10.779 --> 00:12:13.259 and understanding Earth's climate systems. You 00:12:13.259 --> 00:12:15.539 know, William Stefanov, a scientist at National 00:12:15.539 --> 00:12:17.460 Aeronautics and Space Administration's Johnson 00:12:17.460 --> 00:12:19.620 Space Center, he put it really well. What did 00:12:19.620 --> 00:12:22.240 he say? Something like, if you don't have a good 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:25.019 understanding of how things might change, you 00:12:25.019 --> 00:12:27.120 are in a very poor position to be able to handle 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:29.440 it when they do. That makes sense. Preparation. 00:12:29.580 --> 00:12:31.720 Exactly. The station is basically our permanent 00:12:31.720 --> 00:12:33.980 eye in the sky, collecting that baseline data 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:36.279 we absolutely need to prepare for the future. 00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:38.240 And it's important we make that distinction right. 00:12:38.350 --> 00:12:42.049 Between weather and climate. Weather is? Short 00:12:42.049 --> 00:12:45.549 term. What's happening right now, tomorrow. Sunshine, 00:12:45.809 --> 00:12:48.450 rain, wind. Right. What you see out the window. 00:12:49.269 --> 00:12:52.230 And climate is? Long term. The bigger picture. 00:12:52.370 --> 00:12:55.730 The patterns, the averages over decades, centuries 00:12:55.730 --> 00:12:58.250 even. So why is the station particularly vital 00:12:58.250 --> 00:13:00.070 for trekking climate? Is it just about being 00:13:00.070 --> 00:13:02.429 up there for so long? That's a huge part of it, 00:13:02.429 --> 00:13:05.330 yeah. Its longevity is its climate superpower. 00:13:05.629 --> 00:13:08.570 Climate factors, by definition, need tracking 00:13:08.570 --> 00:13:10.990 over long periods to see the trends, the changes. 00:13:11.110 --> 00:13:13.929 And the ISS has been up there. Continuously occupied, 00:13:14.129 --> 00:13:17.070 operating for over 20 years now. That's unprecedented 00:13:17.070 --> 00:13:19.990 for a single orbiting platform. This consistent, 00:13:20.350 --> 00:13:22.789 decades -long presence makes it this ideal, stable 00:13:22.789 --> 00:13:25.690 platform for collecting those long -term, continuous 00:13:25.690 --> 00:13:27.789 datasets. Which are essential for climate models. 00:13:28.059 --> 00:13:30.559 Absolutely essential for understanding environmental 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:33.360 shifts, developing informed strategies. It's 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:35.860 building this permanent, high -res historical 00:13:35.860 --> 00:13:39.139 record from space. A continuous, evolving picture 00:13:39.139 --> 00:13:42.340 of our planet. Amazing. And beyond just being 00:13:42.340 --> 00:13:45.279 up there for ages, what about its specific orbit? 00:13:45.419 --> 00:13:47.679 How does that give it an edge over other satellites? 00:13:48.169 --> 00:13:51.149 Ah, its orbit is incredibly strategic. It covers 00:13:51.149 --> 00:13:53.710 something like 90 % of Earth's population, so 00:13:53.710 --> 00:13:56.509 a near global perspective covering almost everywhere 00:13:56.509 --> 00:13:59.110 people live. 90%. But here's the really unique 00:13:59.110 --> 00:14:02.570 part compared to many other satellites. Its orbital 00:14:02.570 --> 00:14:05.909 inclination, about 52 degrees. This means the 00:14:05.909 --> 00:14:09.549 crew and the instruments see 16 sunrises and 00:14:09.549 --> 00:14:12.870 sunsets every single day. 16? Why is that so 00:14:12.870 --> 00:14:15.389 revolutionary? Well, think about most Earth -observing 00:14:15.389 --> 00:14:16.990 satellites. They're usually polar -orbiting. 00:14:17.190 --> 00:14:19.049 They cross the equator at roughly the same local 00:14:19.049 --> 00:14:21.610 time each day. It's a consistent snapshot. Right. 00:14:21.769 --> 00:14:24.350 Consistent but limited. The ISS, though, it's 00:14:24.350 --> 00:14:26.370 collecting data over different places at all 00:14:26.370 --> 00:14:28.210 sorts of different times of day or night as it 00:14:28.210 --> 00:14:31.190 zips around. This gives you what Stefanov called 00:14:31.190 --> 00:14:33.860 a fundamentally different data set. Because you 00:14:33.860 --> 00:14:36.539 see things change over the course of a day. Exactly. 00:14:36.620 --> 00:14:39.539 You capture those diurnal cycles, rapidly changing 00:14:39.539 --> 00:14:41.639 things like maybe afternoon thunderstorm development, 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:44.600 that a fixed time observation would just completely 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:46.580 miss. It's like having loads of photographers 00:14:46.580 --> 00:14:48.480 catching a scene at different moments, giving 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:50.759 you a much richer, more complete story. That's 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:53.019 fascinating, the implications of those 16 daily 00:14:53.019 --> 00:14:55.879 passes. Okay, let's dive deeper into the actual 00:14:55.879 --> 00:14:58.059 instruments, what's bolted onto the station, 00:14:58.440 --> 00:15:00.720 actively monitoring our climate. Let's start 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:03.080 with something fundamental. the carbon cycle. 00:15:03.580 --> 00:15:06.860 So critical for life and for climate change. 00:15:07.419 --> 00:15:09.700 Absolutely. OK, one of the real game changers 00:15:09.700 --> 00:15:13.960 is OCO3. Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3. OCO3. 00:15:14.259 --> 00:15:17.059 Now this isn't just counting molecules. OCO3 00:15:17.059 --> 00:15:20.379 measures tiny variations in atmospheric CO2 with 00:15:20.379 --> 00:15:22.700 incredible profusion. We're talking less than 00:15:22.700 --> 00:15:24.879 a single part per million. How does it do that? 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:27.679 By analyzing sunlight reflections. How sunlight 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:30.320 bounces off Earth's surface and atmosphere. And 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:32.639 what's revolutionary is it's helping us solve 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:35.840 this huge puzzle. Where exactly is all that human 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:38.879 -generated CO2 going? We don't fully know. We 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:41.120 thought we had a decent idea. You know, forests, 00:15:41.299 --> 00:15:44.720 oceans absorbing it fairly evenly. But OCO3 is 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:48.139 revealing surprising hot spots, regions of the 00:15:48.139 --> 00:15:50.159 planet way more effective at soaking up carbon 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:53.379 than we realized, and others unexpectedly releasing 00:15:53.379 --> 00:15:55.419 it. Wow. So it's reshaping our understanding 00:15:55.419 --> 00:15:58.159 of the Earth's carbon budget. Fundamentally. 00:15:58.500 --> 00:16:01.480 And that directly feeds into refining our climate 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:04.100 models. Incredible precision. What else helps 00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:06.419 us understand the carbon cycle from up there? 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:09.519 OK, another key one is ECOSTRESS. That stands 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:12.480 for Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:15.600 on Space Station. ECOSTRESS. Catchy. It focuses 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:17.720 on how plants respond to stress, particularly 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:20.220 water stress. It measures subtle temperature 00:16:20.220 --> 00:16:22.419 changes in plants, which relates to water loss 00:16:22.419 --> 00:16:24.779 from leaves, evaporation from soils. So it can 00:16:24.779 --> 00:16:26.860 tell how thirsty plants are. Basically, yeah. 00:16:27.019 --> 00:16:29.200 even before you see visual signs of drought. 00:16:29.820 --> 00:16:32.179 This helps predict how ecosystems will cope with 00:16:32.179 --> 00:16:34.740 water shortages and forms farming practices, 00:16:35.139 --> 00:16:37.639 all tied to climate change impacts on food security. 00:16:37.820 --> 00:16:39.620 Makes sense. And you mentioned forests earlier. 00:16:39.899 --> 00:16:43.179 Right. That brings us to GEDI, the Global Ecosystem 00:16:43.179 --> 00:16:46.059 Dynamics Investigation. This isn't just a camera. 00:16:46.679 --> 00:16:49.980 GEDI uses LiDAR, basically. Lasers. Lasers from 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:52.919 space? Millions of laser pulses fire down at 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:55.159 Earth. They penetrate the forest canopy, bounce 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:58.460 back. allowing GEI to build these incredibly 00:16:58.460 --> 00:17:02.000 precise 3D models of forests, layer by layer 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:04.240 from the treetop right down to the ground. Why 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:06.859 is that 3D view so important? Because it gives 00:17:06.859 --> 00:17:08.880 us the most accurate measure ever of how much 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:11.599 carbon is actually stored in those forests. Not 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:14.099 just guessing based on area, but understanding 00:17:14.099 --> 00:17:16.680 their actual structure, their density. This precision 00:17:16.680 --> 00:17:18.880 is vital for knowing their role as carbon sinks 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:21.250 and how they might react to climate change. So 00:17:21.250 --> 00:17:24.250 we're looking at CO2 in the air with OCO3, plant 00:17:24.250 --> 00:17:26.369 health with EcoStress, and forest structure with 00:17:26.369 --> 00:17:28.890 GDI. A really comprehensive picture. Any other 00:17:28.890 --> 00:17:30.730 related research? Oh yeah, quite a few things 00:17:30.730 --> 00:17:32.829 show the breath. There's the photobioreactor 00:17:32.829 --> 00:17:34.890 experiment. Yeah, looked at using microalgae 00:17:34.890 --> 00:17:37.349 to recycle carbon in life support systems for 00:17:37.349 --> 00:17:39.289 future space missions. Could that help on Earth? 00:17:39.390 --> 00:17:42.150 Potentially, yeah. Insights into how algae recycle 00:17:42.150 --> 00:17:44.670 carbon in space could lead to new carbon recycling 00:17:44.670 --> 00:17:47.430 tech down here. Maybe for industry. Interesting. 00:17:47.589 --> 00:17:50.549 And there was Kuwait's experiment, E. coli C5. 00:17:50.779 --> 00:17:53.579 Fascinating stuff. It looked at how microgravity 00:17:53.579 --> 00:17:56.119 affects E. coli bacteria that were genetically 00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:59.480 engineered to eat CO2. Bacteria that eat CO2. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:02.059 Understanding how they behave in space could 00:18:02.059 --> 00:18:04.640 maybe lead to new ways of removing CO2 from our 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:07.309 atmosphere. And even older instruments, like 00:18:07.309 --> 00:18:09.549 HICO, the hyperspectral imager for the coastal 00:18:09.549 --> 00:18:12.910 ocean, its images help develop ways to detect 00:18:12.910 --> 00:18:15.609 harmful algal blooms. Which relates to ocean 00:18:15.609 --> 00:18:18.630 carbon absorption. Exactly. These blooms affect 00:18:18.630 --> 00:18:20.769 marine ecosystems and play a role in how much 00:18:20.769 --> 00:18:22.609 carbon the oceans take up. It's all connected, 00:18:22.789 --> 00:18:25.369 trying to grasp the whole delicate carbon balance. 00:18:25.490 --> 00:18:27.890 It's truly holistic. Okay, moving beyond carbon. 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:30.539 What about the air itself? It's composition. 00:18:30.859 --> 00:18:32.339 And the energy balance that drives everything. 00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:34.460 The sun's energy coming in. Critical pieces, 00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:37.059 absolutely. For atmospheric composition, instruments 00:18:37.059 --> 00:18:39.779 like SAGE III, stratospheric aerosol, and Gas 00:18:39.779 --> 00:18:42.740 Experiment III are vital. SAGE tracks ozone and 00:18:42.740 --> 00:18:45.220 other key gases high up. Monitoring the ozone 00:18:45.220 --> 00:18:47.849 layer recovery. Precisely. that mital shield 00:18:47.849 --> 00:18:50.990 protecting us from UV radiation. SAGE monitors 00:18:50.990 --> 00:18:54.029 how it's recovering after we ban CFCs, those 00:18:54.029 --> 00:18:56.470 chemicals in old fridges and spray cans. It shows 00:18:56.470 --> 00:18:58.789 us the long -term impact of our actions and how 00:18:58.789 --> 00:19:01.190 the atmosphere heals. A positive story, hopefully, 00:19:01.430 --> 00:19:04.269 and the energy coming in from the sun. That's 00:19:04.269 --> 00:19:06.150 the starting point for all weather and climate, 00:19:06.190 --> 00:19:08.769 right? That's where TSIS comes in, the Total 00:19:08.769 --> 00:19:11.589 Solar Irradiance Sensor. TSIS. It continuously 00:19:11.589 --> 00:19:13.730 monitors the total energy hitting Earth from 00:19:13.730 --> 00:19:15.829 the sun. Seems simple, but it's fundamental. 00:19:16.029 --> 00:19:18.509 Even tiny solar variations can have long -term 00:19:18.509 --> 00:19:21.230 climate effects. And deploying TSIS quickly on 00:19:21.230 --> 00:19:23.390 the station was crucial. Why quickly? Because 00:19:23.390 --> 00:19:25.829 previous tracking instruments were facing potential 00:19:25.829 --> 00:19:28.450 failure. Getting TSIS up there ensured we kept 00:19:28.450 --> 00:19:31.089 the climate record continuous and accurate, preventing 00:19:31.089 --> 00:19:33.829 damaging data gaps. That unbroken data chain 00:19:33.829 --> 00:19:36.809 is vital for precise climate modeling. So TSIS 00:19:36.809 --> 00:19:39.609 kept the energy budget record intact. OK, now 00:19:39.609 --> 00:19:42.130 let's get to the stuff a meteorologist like Deborah 00:19:42.130 --> 00:19:45.089 Martirell deals with daily. weather, storms, 00:19:45.269 --> 00:19:47.990 those dramatic short -term events. How does the 00:19:47.990 --> 00:19:50.069 station help track those? Right. For that, we 00:19:50.069 --> 00:19:53.410 had ISS RapidScat. It worked by bouncing microwaves 00:19:53.410 --> 00:19:56.289 off the ocean surface. Microwaves? Yeah. Analyzing 00:19:56.289 --> 00:19:58.509 the scattered signal, let it measure ocean wind 00:19:58.509 --> 00:20:01.410 speed and direction over huge areas. Absolutely 00:20:01.410 --> 00:20:03.569 crucial for tracking and forecasting storms, 00:20:03.730 --> 00:20:06.369 especially hurricanes, out over the open ocean 00:20:06.369 --> 00:20:09.150 where we have less data. Chilling the gaps. Exactly. 00:20:09.390 --> 00:20:11.369 It was specifically designed to fill a gap left 00:20:11.369 --> 00:20:14.390 when a previous satellite failed. shows how agile 00:20:14.390 --> 00:20:17.109 the station can be. It's data fed directly into 00:20:17.109 --> 00:20:19.930 forecast models, improving storm warnings. Vital 00:20:19.930 --> 00:20:23.089 for safety. What about clouds or other stuff 00:20:23.089 --> 00:20:26.089 in the air, like dust or smoke? That was CATS, 00:20:26.309 --> 00:20:28.710 the Cloud Aerosol Transport System. CATS use 00:20:28.710 --> 00:20:31.210 LIDAR, light -based radar, essentially to measure 00:20:31.210 --> 00:20:33.410 the vertical profile of clouds, dust plumes, 00:20:33.569 --> 00:20:36.049 smoke from wildfires, other tiny particles called 00:20:36.049 --> 00:20:38.210 aerosols. Why are those important? Because they 00:20:38.210 --> 00:20:40.490 massively impact climate. They reflect or absorb 00:20:40.490 --> 00:20:42.970 sunlight, affect temperature, even influence 00:20:42.970 --> 00:20:46.069 how clouds form. Understanding them is key. And 00:20:46.069 --> 00:20:49.450 lightning. Yes. LIS, the Lightning Imaging Sensor. 00:20:49.529 --> 00:20:51.950 LIS detects lightning flashes all over the globe 00:20:51.950 --> 00:20:54.730 day and night. From space. It has specialized 00:20:54.730 --> 00:20:58.069 optical sensors. This data helps validate ground 00:20:58.069 --> 00:21:00.890 -based and other space systems. And crucially, 00:21:01.369 --> 00:21:04.289 it fills data holes, especially over oceans where 00:21:04.289 --> 00:21:06.869 ground detection is sparse. Better lightning 00:21:06.869 --> 00:21:09.490 data ultimately means better forecasts, better 00:21:09.490 --> 00:21:12.410 severe storm warnings, enhanced safety. It's 00:21:12.410 --> 00:21:15.309 literally shedding light on lightning. This paints 00:21:15.309 --> 00:21:18.170 a picture of a truly active celestial weather 00:21:18.170 --> 00:21:20.789 station. gathering all sorts of data, actively 00:21:20.789 --> 00:21:23.549 probing the atmosphere, which leads us right 00:21:23.549 --> 00:21:26.009 into decoding Earth's storms from above, because 00:21:26.009 --> 00:21:29.250 the ISS is also key for studying weirder stuff 00:21:29.250 --> 00:21:31.369 happening higher up, right, in the ionosphere, 00:21:31.450 --> 00:21:34.150 things like TLEs. Transient luminous events. 00:21:34.190 --> 00:21:36.390 Yeah. Yeah, they're spectacular, almost otherworldly 00:21:36.390 --> 00:21:38.369 phenomena. Like what? Give me examples. OK, you 00:21:38.369 --> 00:21:40.809 have things like blue jets. These are discharges 00:21:40.809 --> 00:21:43.109 that shoot upwards in the tops of thunderclouds, 00:21:43.109 --> 00:21:45.009 sometimes reaching way up into the stratosphere. 00:21:45.150 --> 00:21:48.269 Upwards lightening. Kind of. Then there are sprites. 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:52.240 That stands for stratospheric mesospheric perturbations 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:54.779 resulting from intense thunderstorm electrification. 00:21:55.079 --> 00:21:57.450 Okay, sprites. There are these colorful, fleeting 00:21:57.450 --> 00:22:00.529 bursts of energy above storms, often red or orange, 00:22:00.710 --> 00:22:03.190 very quick, like flashes. Wow. And then you have 00:22:03.190 --> 00:22:07.269 ELVES, emissions of light and VLF perturbations 00:22:07.269 --> 00:22:11.069 from EMP events. These are huge, massive glowing 00:22:11.069 --> 00:22:13.890 rings in the upper atmosphere. They expand rapidly, 00:22:14.269 --> 00:22:16.990 can be hundreds of miles across, triggered by 00:22:16.990 --> 00:22:19.309 the electromagnetic pulse from intense lightning 00:22:19.309 --> 00:22:23.470 blow. Blue jets, sprites, elves. Sounds like 00:22:23.470 --> 00:22:25.170 fantasy. Doesn't it? Straight out of science 00:22:25.170 --> 00:22:27.430 fiction. But beyond looking cool, why study them? 00:22:27.509 --> 00:22:29.829 What's the practical point? Well, they're not 00:22:29.829 --> 00:22:32.289 just pretty lights. These intense electrical 00:22:32.289 --> 00:22:34.230 discharges can mess things up. They temporarily 00:22:34.230 --> 00:22:36.309 ionize parts of the upper atmosphere, especially 00:22:36.309 --> 00:22:39.150 the ionosphere's D region. And that causes... 00:22:39.150 --> 00:22:41.450 Interference. It can disrupt critical radio signals, 00:22:41.630 --> 00:22:43.970 air traffic control, military comms, maybe even 00:22:43.970 --> 00:22:46.970 GPS navigation. Those signals rely on bouncing 00:22:46.970 --> 00:22:49.630 off the ionosphere. If it's disturbed by a TLE... 00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:52.619 the signal path changes. So potential communication 00:22:52.619 --> 00:22:55.680 and navigation problems. Exactly. Understanding 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:58.599 where and when TLEs happen is becoming really 00:22:58.599 --> 00:23:00.660 important for the safety and reliability of those 00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:03.779 systems. And the challenge is they happen way 00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:05.720 above the clouds, way above normal lightning, 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:08.019 super hard to see well from the ground. Which 00:23:08.019 --> 00:23:11.319 is where the ISS comes in. Precisely. Its orbital 00:23:11.319 --> 00:23:13.680 view is indispensable for studying these things. 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:17.339 So what key investigations have used the ISS 00:23:17.339 --> 00:23:19.880 to look at TLEs? One of the big ones, hugely 00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:23.369 productive, is ASIM. The Atmosphere -Space Interactions 00:23:23.369 --> 00:23:25.650 Monitor. I assume. It's a sophisticated suite 00:23:25.650 --> 00:23:27.329 of instruments mounted on the outside of the 00:23:27.329 --> 00:23:29.769 station, just constantly staring down and collecting 00:23:29.769 --> 00:23:32.589 high -res data on TLEs. And what's SM telling 00:23:32.589 --> 00:23:36.309 us? It's giving scientists really crucial, unprecedented 00:23:36.309 --> 00:23:39.289 insights into how powerful thunderstorms affect 00:23:39.289 --> 00:23:41.910 Earth's atmosphere, right from the ground all 00:23:41.910 --> 00:23:45.000 the way up to the edge of space. This feeds directly 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:47.000 into improving our weather and climate models 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:50.039 by refining how they handle atmospheric electricity. 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:53.140 Has it made specific discoveries? Oh yeah. SM 00:23:53.140 --> 00:23:56.039 data definitely confirmed that those upward lightning 00:23:56.039 --> 00:24:00.220 -like discharges from storm tops do create ELVAs, 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:03.779 those giant rings. That influences the ionosphere 00:24:03.779 --> 00:24:06.519 and helps us understand both Earth weather and 00:24:06.519 --> 00:24:09.140 space weather, how things like solar flares might 00:24:09.140 --> 00:24:11.579 interact with our atmosphere. Okay. It's also 00:24:11.579 --> 00:24:13.880 described the physics of corona discharges inside 00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:16.799 thunderclouds. These are powerful, super short 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:19.579 electrical bursts happening right before or with 00:24:19.579 --> 00:24:22.019 lightning. This data helps figure out how lightning 00:24:22.019 --> 00:24:23.819 actually gets started, which is still a bit of 00:24:23.819 --> 00:24:25.839 a puzzle. Really? We don't fully know how lightning 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:28.279 starts. The exact trigger mechanism is complex 00:24:28.279 --> 00:24:31.200 and still debated. ASEM helps. And by combining 00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:33.539 ASEM data with ground radar, scientists have 00:24:33.539 --> 00:24:36.240 even pinpointed the exact height and shape of 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:39.000 those blue discharges, the blue jets. Critical 00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:41.859 data for atmospheric physicists. Incredible detail 00:24:41.859 --> 00:24:43.880 from orbit. Are there other ways they watch these 00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:46.500 storms from the station? Yep. Another European 00:24:46.500 --> 00:24:49.500 space agency project called Thor Davis used a 00:24:49.500 --> 00:24:51.720 special high speed camera. High speed. Very high 00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:53.519 speed. They mounted it to look through the windows 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:55.920 of a cupola. You know, that big bay window module? 00:24:56.079 --> 00:24:58.039 Yeah, the observation deck. Right. This camera 00:24:58.039 --> 00:25:00.700 could shoot at up to 100 ,000 frames per second. 00:25:00.779 --> 00:25:03.579 Whoa! Yeah. Allowed them to capture the millisecond 00:25:03.579 --> 00:25:06.420 -long evolution of TLEs in amazing detail. Proved 00:25:06.420 --> 00:25:08.519 it's a really useful tool for watching severe 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:11.539 electrical storms from space. Might have other 00:25:11.539 --> 00:25:13.960 uses for studying rapid atmospheric events, too. 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:16.640 Capturing things faster than blinking. And I 00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:18.519 think you mentioned smaller satellites getting 00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:21.500 involved, too. Yes, exactly. The Japan Aerospace 00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:26.220 Exploration Agency, JAXA, had the Light One CubeSat. 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:28.559 Brilliant example. CubeSat for lightning. For 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:31.099 something even more intense. Terrestrial gamma 00:25:31.099 --> 00:25:34.039 ray flashes, or TGS. Yeah. These are incredibly 00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:37.140 high energy bursts of radiation coming from thunderstorms. 00:25:37.339 --> 00:25:40.200 Gamma rays. From storms. Is that dangerous? It 00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:42.440 can be. They can expose aircraft, electronics, 00:25:42.599 --> 00:25:45.380 even passengers to significant radiation doses 00:25:45.380 --> 00:25:48.380 if they fly through one. LightOne used sensitive 00:25:48.380 --> 00:25:51.039 detectors packed into a tiny satellite to spot 00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:54.099 these TGFs. What's the goal? To compare the CubeSat 00:25:54.099 --> 00:25:57.059 data with ground observations, build up better 00:25:57.059 --> 00:25:59.480 maps of lightning and thunderstorms, especially 00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:02.119 these high -energy events. And it shows the power 00:26:02.119 --> 00:26:06.109 of CubeSat's smaller cheaper, faster to build 00:26:06.109 --> 00:26:08.910 and deploy for specific science goals compared 00:26:08.910 --> 00:26:12.630 to big traditional satellites. So from big external 00:26:12.630 --> 00:26:15.430 instruments like ASIM, to cameras inside, to 00:26:15.430 --> 00:26:17.789 tiny CubeSat, a whole range of tools watching 00:26:17.789 --> 00:26:20.690 these powerful events. Which brings us nicely 00:26:20.690 --> 00:26:23.130 to the human side of things, and these microsatellites. 00:26:23.430 --> 00:26:25.650 It's not just automated instruments doing everything, 00:26:25.750 --> 00:26:27.750 is it? Not at all. Astronauts themselves are 00:26:27.750 --> 00:26:29.890 crucial observers, highly trained observers, 00:26:30.130 --> 00:26:32.289 actually. Taking photos. Millions of them. They've 00:26:32.289 --> 00:26:34.349 taken over four mil - million images of Earth 00:26:34.349 --> 00:26:37.450 from space, with a 3 .5 million just from the 00:26:37.450 --> 00:26:41.190 ISS alone. 4 million? Yeah. It's one of the longest 00:26:41.190 --> 00:26:43.109 -running visual records we have of how Earth 00:26:43.109 --> 00:26:46.029 has changed over time. Their photos add this 00:26:46.029 --> 00:26:48.630 vital human perspective, often catching things 00:26:48.630 --> 00:26:51.250 automated sensors miss or focusing on specific 00:26:51.250 --> 00:26:53.690 areas of interest. It complements the sensor 00:26:53.690 --> 00:26:55.609 data beautifully. So these aren't just pretty 00:26:55.609 --> 00:26:57.609 pictures for Instagram, though they are often 00:26:57.609 --> 00:27:00.369 stunning. They have real uses. Absolutely. Tons 00:27:00.369 --> 00:27:03.009 of practical applications. Their use in studies 00:27:03.009 --> 00:27:05.109 of urban night lighting helps understand population 00:27:05.109 --> 00:27:08.349 density, energy use. OK. They're used to monitor 00:27:08.349 --> 00:27:10.890 dynamic things like glaciers, tracking retreat 00:27:10.890 --> 00:27:14.170 or advance, watching active volcanoes, tracking 00:27:14.170 --> 00:27:16.549 eruption plumes and their atmospheric effects. 00:27:16.789 --> 00:27:19.349 Wow. There was even a cool project called AMFS 00:27:19.349 --> 00:27:22.569 used astronaut photos to help track bird migration 00:27:22.569 --> 00:27:24.930 routes, see how changes along those routes might 00:27:24.930 --> 00:27:27.009 be affecting the birds. That's amazing. Bird 00:27:27.009 --> 00:27:30.569 watching from space. Kind of. And really crucially, 00:27:31.029 --> 00:27:34.009 astronaut photos provide vital, sometimes real 00:27:34.009 --> 00:27:37.609 -time support for disaster relief. How so? After 00:27:37.609 --> 00:27:40.970 a hurricane or a big wildfire, these overhead 00:27:40.970 --> 00:27:43.569 shots can give ground responders critical info 00:27:43.569 --> 00:27:47.049 fast. Which way is the smoke plume heading? How 00:27:47.049 --> 00:27:49.609 far has the flooding spread? Is that bridge still 00:27:49.609 --> 00:27:51.930 standing in a remote area? It helps make the 00:27:51.930 --> 00:27:53.910 response quicker and more effective. Real -time 00:27:53.910 --> 00:27:56.490 intelligence from a human eye in space. Incredible. 00:27:56.940 --> 00:27:59.039 And speaking of smaller contributions, let's 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:01.019 circle back to CubeSats, these little shoebox 00:28:01.019 --> 00:28:03.680 -sized things. How do they fit into the big picture 00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:06.319 of Earth observation? CubeSats are total game 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:08.980 changers, especially for testing new tech or 00:28:08.980 --> 00:28:11.240 new climate science ideas quickly. How do they 00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:13.599 get deployed? Pretty efficiently. They hitch 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:15.299 a ride up to the station with regular cargo, 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:17.799 astronauts prep them on board, then they get 00:28:17.799 --> 00:28:20.380 deployed right out of the station's airlock into 00:28:20.380 --> 00:28:22.619 low Earth orbit. Like little birds leaving the 00:28:22.619 --> 00:28:25.640 nest. Exactly. Their huge value is they're super 00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:28.180 accessible for smaller programs, universities, 00:28:28.680 --> 00:28:30.940 different national aeronautics and space administration 00:28:30.940 --> 00:28:33.740 centers. They're a fantastic stepping stone to 00:28:33.740 --> 00:28:36.480 larger things. A lot for rapid testing, lower 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:39.660 costs, faster cycles for cutting edge research. 00:28:40.099 --> 00:28:42.819 Democratizing space access, in a way. Can you 00:28:42.819 --> 00:28:45.359 give some examples of climate -focused CubeSats 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:48.400 launched from the ISS? Sure. There was Nanorax 00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:52.619 Min -XSS. A miniature X -ray solar spectrometer 00:28:52.619 --> 00:28:54.799 designed to better understand solar X -rays and 00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:57.000 how they impact Earth's upper atmosphere layers. 00:28:57.140 --> 00:28:59.500 Which affects satellites and radio. Right. Then 00:28:59.500 --> 00:29:02.559 there was DEWADA Plus One, a Philippine microsatellite 00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:04.900 providing remote sensing data directly back to 00:29:04.900 --> 00:29:07.740 the Philippines. Incredibly vital for them with 00:29:07.740 --> 00:29:10.359 typhoons, heavy rains, helps with monitoring 00:29:10.359 --> 00:29:13.460 and disaster prep. Direct local benefit. Definitely. 00:29:13.859 --> 00:29:16.500 And ARP, the hyper angular rainbow polarimeter. 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:19.279 ARPA helped us better understand how clouds and 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:21.740 aerosols affect weather, climate, air quality. 00:29:22.220 --> 00:29:24.079 It studied how sunlight interacts with these 00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:26.460 particles from multiple angles. That data is 00:29:26.460 --> 00:29:29.180 crucial for refining climate models and understanding 00:29:29.180 --> 00:29:32.180 air pollution. Each little satellite adds unique, 00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:36.099 valuable data. Tiny devices, big impact. And 00:29:36.099 --> 00:29:38.140 it really does circle us back beautifully to 00:29:38.140 --> 00:29:40.599 Deborah Martirell, doesn't it? Her mission, carrying 00:29:40.599 --> 00:29:42.880 both that science experiment and the student 00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:46.079 -designed gravity indicator, it perfectly blends 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:48.380 this human element with that microsatellite kind 00:29:48.380 --> 00:29:51.200 of innovation. It really does. Her journey, it 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:52.839 promises not just to inspire so many people, 00:29:53.059 --> 00:29:55.099 especially young women and girls in Puerto Rico 00:29:55.099 --> 00:29:57.720 and everywhere, but also to directly contribute 00:29:57.720 --> 00:30:00.700 to foster that next generation of weather and 00:30:00.700 --> 00:30:03.220 space scientists. It's a powerful center. shows 00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:05.660 how one person's dream can ignite broader science 00:30:05.660 --> 00:30:08.599 and inspire innovators. What an extraordinary 00:30:08.599 --> 00:30:11.640 journey we've traced today. Here on Meteorology 00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:14.440 Matters, we've gone from a childhood dream all 00:30:14.440 --> 00:30:17.380 the way to a pivotal scientific mission soon 00:30:17.380 --> 00:30:20.950 heading beyond our atmosphere. Deborah Martirell's 00:30:20.950 --> 00:30:23.630 historic flight, the first meteorologist in space. 00:30:24.150 --> 00:30:25.970 It really highlights how our understanding of 00:30:25.970 --> 00:30:28.970 Earth's atmosphere is constantly expanding, driven 00:30:28.970 --> 00:30:31.230 by incredible research on platforms like the 00:30:31.230 --> 00:30:34.029 ISS, reviewing secrets we just couldn't see from 00:30:34.029 --> 00:30:36.670 the ground. And these insights we get from looking 00:30:36.670 --> 00:30:39.769 back at our beautiful blue home from space, they 00:30:39.769 --> 00:30:42.490 aren't just academic curiosities. They directly 00:30:42.490 --> 00:30:45.730 impact our preparedness, our safety. They strengthen 00:30:45.730 --> 00:30:47.990 our ability to tackle the huge environmental 00:30:47.990 --> 00:30:50.559 challenges we face. from understanding storms 00:30:50.559 --> 00:30:52.700 to predicting climate shifts. It really makes 00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:55.279 you wonder, doesn't it? As we keep pushing further 00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:59.000 into space, what new, maybe even more profound 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:02.079 perspectives will space keep offering us about 00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:04.220 the air we breathe, the storms that shape our 00:31:04.220 --> 00:31:06.579 world, the climate that defines our future? The 00:31:06.579 --> 00:31:08.940 journey of discovery is definitely ongoing. It 00:31:08.940 --> 00:31:10.779 really feels like it's just beginning sometimes. 00:31:11.319 --> 00:31:15.099 And every step, especially a historic one, like 00:31:15.099 --> 00:31:18.490 Deborah Martirell's flight. adds another crucial, 00:31:18.490 --> 00:31:21.789 illuminating piece to that huge puzzle of understanding 00:31:21.789 --> 00:31:23.609 our planet. Well, you can find more discussions 00:31:23.609 --> 00:31:25.910 just like this one on the Meteorology Matters 00:31:25.910 --> 00:31:27.890 podcast playlist over on YouTube. Just search 00:31:27.890 --> 00:31:31.049 for Rob Jones Hurricane. And for even more insights 00:31:31.049 --> 00:31:32.710 into the world of weather, you should definitely 00:31:32.710 --> 00:31:35.130 follow meteorologist Rob Jones on Instagram. 00:31:35.269 --> 00:31:38.009 His handle is Meteorologist. And also on TikTok 00:31:38.009 --> 00:31:41.130 at TV Meteorologist. Thanks so much for joining 00:31:41.130 --> 00:31:43.809 us for this deep dive into the cosmos and its 00:31:43.809 --> 00:31:45.230 vital connection to our climate.