Astronauts Spend One Last Day Mapping The World’S Terrain

Mon., Feb. 21, 2000

Space shuttle Endeavour’s astronauts squeezed in one last day of Earth mapping on Sunday, giving scientists more radar data than they had expected a week ago.

By the time the astronauts pull in their 197-foot radar mast Monday morning, they will have surveyed three-quarters of the world’s terrain.

That equates to 43.5 million square miles mapped at least twice. Double imaging is needed to create ultraprecise 3-D maps of the planet’s peaks and valleys, as far north as Alaska and as far south as the tip of South America.

NASA and its partner, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, expect the maps to be the most complete and accurate ever produced.

The Defense Department will use the maps to improve its aim of missiles and its deployment of troops.

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Astronauts Spend One Last Day Mapping The World’S Terrain

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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