MO-5: Capturing Data from Afar

In this mission, your team will step into the shoes of NASA scientists using remote sensing tools to explore and map surface features—starting right here on Earth. You’ll use a kite-mounted Aeropod imaging system to collect aerial photos of your surroundings, just like NASA collects data from orbiters, drones, balloons, and airplanes to study Earth and planets like Venus. Your goal is to understand how altitude affects the detail and area captured in an image, and how scientists turn these images into usable maps and scientific observations.

Your work will begin with a hands-on camera investigation to explore how spatial resolution and field of view change with distance. You’ll photograph a small target, such as a playing card, from different distances, noticing when the object becomes visible, when it’s recognizable, and when you can identify specific details. As you observe the changes in image detail and size, you’ll learn how camera distance affects spatial resolution and field of view—what we can and cannot see from afar. For more information about what spatial resolution and field of view are, please see the Explore and Explain portions of Lesson 5 in the Companion Course and support materials.

Once you’ve practiced with the camera and learned how imaging data is affected by the distances or cameras you use to collect it, you’ll shift your focus to field operations. Using the AEROKATS Field Operations Manual as your guide, you’ll prepare your team for a flight mission using a patented NASA technology called an Aeropod and a kite. You’ll plan how to collect your data, review safety steps, assign team roles, and get familiar with the Aeropod equipment. After completing your preparations, you’ll fly the Aeropod and collect video footage from above your field site. Don’t forget to fill out the Flight Data Sheets on pages 28 and 29 of the Field Operations Manual—you’ll need those later!

Back in the classroom, you’ll extract still images from your video and begin analyzing and classifying what you captured. You’ll start by making careful observations—looking for patterns, unusual features, or anything that catches your attention. Then, you’ll print your image on graph paper and outline features such as roads, trees, shadows, or water. You will count the number of grid squares for each type of feature or terrain, and using the AEROKATS Manual Image Classification Activity as your guide, you will create both a “Classified Image” from your data and at least one graph that shows the total area of each type of terrain or feature you identified.

As you study your images, take time to reflect on what they reveal from above that you wouldn’t notice at ground level. Consider how your view from the sky helps you detect patterns or features that may hint at natural processes, human activity, or environmental changes. This kind of thinking connects directly to how NASA scientists use remote sensing to explore the surfaces of other worlds.

If you’re ready for more advanced analysis, especially in middle or high school, you can estimate the spatial resolution and field of view of your images by comparing known object sizes in your photos. These calculations help you understand how much detail your images capture—and how much might be lost with lower resolution. Sample calculations and examples are available in the Explain section of Companion Course Lesson 5.

Next, you’ll upload your data to the AEROKATS Mission Mapper. Be sure to include both your original and annotated images, and feel free to add any data or graphs you created. You’ll also need your Flight Data Sheets from the AEROKATS Flight Operations Manual to make sure you correctly fill out the dates, times, and conditions of your remote sensing field campaign.

Finally, your team will put everything together into a final report or Mission Development Log (MDL). This will include images taken from different heights to show how resolution changes, a short explanation of field of view and spatial resolution with simple calculations, your completed Flight Data Sheet, your shaded and labeled image, any graphs you made, and your Mission ID for the AEROKATS Mission Mapper. If you did more than one flight, you can also include extra images or notes about how the scene changed. Don’t forget to write a short reflection about what you were able to observe and map, any challenges you faced, how scientists deal with similar problems, and what you would do differently next time. Include the Mission ID for your AEROKATS Mission Mapper report so other teams can check out what you did!