EarthBalls in Space
In March of 1992 the NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched into orbit with seven astronauts & one inflatable EarthBall onboard.
During their 9 day mission, comprising 143 Earth orbits and 3.7
million miles, the crew of STS-45 deployed the Earthball as an assistant
in filming the educational video "The Atmosphere Below."
See EarthBalls Float Weightlessly in Space!
View three short clips at the Video Index page
This NASA-produced educational video featuring the Orbiting EarthBall shows how changes in the Earth's atmosphere are investigated from outer space aboard the shuttle.
STS-45 Crew:
Commander: Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Col., USMC)
Pilot: Brian Duffy (Lt. Col., ASAF)
Payload Commander: Kathryn D. Sullivan (Ph.D.)
Mission Specialist: David C. Leestma (Capt., USN)
Mission Specialist: C. Michael Foale (Ph.D.)
Payload Specialist: Byron K. Lichtenberg (Sc.D.)
Payload Specialist: Dirk D. Frimout (Ph.D.)
More information is available from NASA SpaceLink.
Think about the picture of the Earth coming up over the horizon of the Moon, which I call the picture of the century. Every crew that went to the Moon took that same picture. It is probably as moving as anything in reorienting people's idea to the whole world concept." Don L. Lind, USA, STS 51-B
Astronaut Susan Still