ISS U.S. National Laboratory

Earth and Space Observation

Windows on Earth

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Explore Windows on Earth to discover your home from a new and spectacular point of view! Astronauts take hundreds of photos each day for science research, public outreach, and personal enjoyment. Windows on Earth maintains a huge, frequently-updated archive of these amazing images. The photos show large-scale phenomena such as hurricanes and volcanic eruptions, and inspire awe and curiosity about our fascinating planet.

Several free tools are available to enrich your interaction with these images:

Windows on Earth – home site

Amazing Earth Educator Guide

Mystery Images from Space

Cupola View – live simulated view of Earth as seen from cupola

Fly-over Videos

Image of the Week

Student Spaceflight Experiments

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The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design authentic research for the ISS National Lab!

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education created SSEP in 2010 and maintains the program through partnerships with DreamUp PBC, NanoRacks LLC, and the ISS National Lab. Outside the U.S., the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education leads the program.

Students in fifth grade through college investigate diverse topics including seed germination, crystal growth, food studies, cell biology, and physiology and life cycles of microorganisms. Their experiments must fit within the size and engineering constraints of a mini-laboratory compatible with the Space Station’s experiment racks. SSEP provides free educational resources to help teachers and students understand the special challenges of doing research in the microgravity (weightless) environment on the ISS.

SSEP embraces a Learning Community Model for STEM education. Each participating community, generally a city or town, has its own competition with multiple student teams. Mirroring how professional research is done, the teams submit research proposals that go through a formal review process. One experiment from each community is selected to fly to the ISS.

“SSEP is designed to empower the student as scientist, and within the real-world context of science. Student teams design a real experiment, propose for a real flight opportunity, experience a formal proposal review, and go through a NASA flight safety review. They even have their own science conference at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where they are immersed in their own community of researchers,” said Dr. Jeff Goldstein, creator of SSEP and NCESSE Center Director.

Join the Community Network, and learn about past experiments.

Story Time From Space

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Story Time From Space has a new video! Check out Luciana: Braving the Deep read by NASA Astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor!

Watch astronauts on the Space Station read children’s books and perform science demonstrations! Story Time From Space offers a delightful combination of science, literacy, and entertainment through its library of free, family-friendly videos.

Both within and outside the classroom, kids and families can enjoy watching and reading along with the British, French, Japanese, and American astronauts who present these stories. Thirteen children’s books have flown to the Space Station so far.

Story Time From Space will soon add a new feature, Science Time From Space, consisting of educational demonstrations that complement the science concepts covered in the books. Free curricular support materials are being designed to connect the science content with the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core. Educators, families, libraries, science centers, after-school groups, and others can access all the resources online for free.

Educator Patricia Tribe and astronaut Alvin Drew started Story Time From Space. Former Canadian astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason designs the science demonstrations. CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space) supports the program’s research and covers flight operations to get the books and demonstration materials to the Space Station.

Cost:  FREE

Space Station Explorers – STEM Guide

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These six hands-on activities, using easily accessible materials, introduce core concepts about the ISS. A great entry point for students and educators.

  1. Humans in Space: Measuring distances
  2. Mission Patch Design: Crew Unity in Space
  3. Ready to Launch: Engineering Rockets
  4. Spacewalk Simulation
  5. Story Time from Space: Max Goes to ISS
  6. Design a Space Station

Space Station Explorers – Web

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Space Station Explorers is the official web site for ISS National Lab education. Visit to explore all partner programs, news updates and education resources.

Space Station Ambassadors

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Join our nationwide network of volunteers who share their excitement about the International Space Station with their students, peers, and communities! The Space Station Ambassadors program is open to adults including all educators, leaders, and lifelong learners. Connect with other enthusiasts and enjoy access to great educational resources and special perks!

Space Station Ambassadors can participate in many ways:

  • Conduct workshops or seminars for educators or the public
  • Test and evaluate educational activities
  • Develop new lesson plans and activities
  • Advocate for ISS-based research and space education

With greater involvement, Ambassadors enjoy increasing rewards:

  • Free posters, T-shirts, and educational resources
  • Priority access to educational events and opportunities
  • Complimentary registration to various STEM conferences
  • Quarterly Ambassador meetings with special giveaways
Become an Ambassador

Already an Ambassador? Log In to the Ambassadors Portal

Space Station Academy

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Through this online coarse, immerse yourself in a virtual mission to the International Space Station! Participate in realistic training and in-orbit exercises, observe Earth from space, and experience life as an astronaut. VHS Learning developed each mission’s curriculum in collaboration with astronauts and scientists.

Offered at three levels:

1. Mission to the ISS – a 4-week mini-course, operated during the summer or on a flexible schedule based on local needs.  Grades 3-12

Cost: $$

2. Science from Space – a 15-week full semester course, offering 0.5 credits as an integrated STEM course, operated twice during a normal school year. Grades 7-10

Cost: $$$

3. Mission to the ISS Free Version – Earth and Space Science lessons where students become “cadets” and view Earth from space using the same tools currently used by ISS astronauts

Cost: FREE

Science Time From Space

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Astronauts demonstrate surprising science concepts that complement the content in Story Time From Space books.

Together, Science Time From Space and Story Time From Space offer a delightful combination of science, literacy, and entertainment through its library of free, family-friendly videos.

Science Time from Space present educational demonstrations that complement the science concepts covered in the books. Free curricular support materials are being designed to connect the science content with the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core. Educators, families, libraries, science centers, after-school groups, and others can access all the resources online for free.

Sally Ride EarthKAM

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You control the camera in this unique Earth observation experiment onboard the International Space Station! In 2016 alone, students and educators around the world requested more than 24,000 images through Sally Ride EarthKAM at Space Camp. Open to schools and informal educational groups, this NASA program is administered by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Teledyne Brown Engineering.

EarthKAM provides standards-based, grade-appropriate lesson plans to help teachers incorporate EarthKAM into their classroom activities.

Students can enjoy EarthKAM learning activities even if their class is not registered to request images. Through EarthKAM’s website, anyone can access free resources to learn how to track the ISS in its orbit, explore the science of Earth observation, and browse galleries of images from past missions.

NASA STEM on Station

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Link directly to NASA education programs and activities supporting ISS outreach. Learning guides, resources and news.

NASA – ISS News Updates

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Get the latest news on ISS activities, launches, spacewalks, experiments and so much more.

ISS Above – Display Device

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The ISS-Above is a small, inexpensive hardware device that connects students with the International Space Station by instantly and reliably providing current information, location alerts, and live HD video streaming from space!

The device, which is built around a Raspberry Pi computer, is easy to connect to power and Wi-Fi. It has a built-in set of LEDs that flash in bright colors whenever the ISS is passing overhead. Students and educators are amazed to learn how often the Space Station flies over their school: 5-8 times every 24 hours, and sometimes three times during a single school day!

When connected to a TV, monitor, or projector, the ISS-Above shows a rotating series of displays with up-to-the-minute information about the Station’s location, crew, activities, and upcoming passes. It also shows the current view of Earth by accessing live streams from HD video cameras mounted on the Space Station’s exterior. All information is automatically updated over Wi-Fi without requiring any subscription or fees. Display details can be controlled with a smartphone app.

The ISS-Above makes it easy to check in with the Space Station every day in your home or classroom. Through deployment in hundreds of classrooms, it has been proven to stimulate insightful questions and analytical thinking from students. Curricular support materials and activities are being developed to enhance the utility of the ISS-Above for engaging students and enhancing STEM learning.

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The ISS National Lab is managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc.CASIS, under agreement with NASA. © Copyright 2011-2020 The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc., a 501(c) 3 corporation. CASIS