Michael Helfert Viewing Earth from Space Collection
1961-1998
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Michael Helfert Viewing Earth from Space Collection
1961-1998
MSS-384 Creator: Helfert, Michael R. Title: Michael Helfert Viewing Earth from Space Collection
Inclusive Dates: 1961-1998 Quantity:
96 Boxes
(51.0 Linear Feet)
Abstract: The Michael Helfert: Viewing Earth from Space Collection consists of over 26,000 true-color and infrared photographs taken from space of Earth, 1961 to 1998, and supporting printed documents. All films in the collection are second generation films and were reproduced from a small number of selected flight film originals at Helfert's specification for his use as teaching and briefing resources. Identification: MSS-384 Language:
Material in English
Repository: Arizona State University Library. Rare Books and ManuscriptsQuestions? Ask An Archivist!
Michael R. Helfert, a geographer and climatologist, has served as Program Director for Regional and State Climate Programs at the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC since 2002. He has also worked as the South Carolina State climatologist and as the Director of the Southeast Regional Climate Center. Prior to that, he worked as a senior scientist at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center from 1985 through 1994, developing scientific mission profiles for Space Shuttle missions and providing pre-flight and post-flight briefings for both American and foreign astronauts. He retired from NASA in 1994 and, as was common practice, took his working materials, film, and slides when he moved on. Helfert continues to provide astronaut-cosmonaut briefings and collaborates with NASA's Johnson Space Center (Houston) as a Science Investigator for Global Change.
Helfert has worked and published in the field of global geographic analysis since 1961. Data sources used during the past 38 years include photography and imagery from the ground, aircraft, various unmanned satellites and from American and Russian manned space missions. Three decades of work on systematic, scientific photography of the Earth from space culminated in the 1996 National Geographic Society book Orbit: NASA Astronauts Photograph the Earth by Jay Apt, Helfert and Justin Wilkinson.
Helfert earned his B.A. and Ph.D. in geography at the University of Texas.
The Michael Helfert: Viewing Earth from Space Collection consists of over 26,000 true-color and infrared photographs taken from space of Earth between 1961 and 1998 along with supporting printed documents. All films in the collection are second generation films and were reproduced from a small number of selected flight film originals at Helfert's specification for his use as teaching and briefing resources.
The purpose of this collection is to document global change processes, change velocities, and tendencies over the last four decades of the twentieth century and to support multi-disciplinary research and teaching in environmental change studies. This collection serves as an objective photographic history of Earth since 1961.
Of particular interest are the images in Series V: Photography. This series includes approximately 23,500 super slides (70 mm or 2.25" x 2.25") that cover the best photography acquired during every Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab, Space Shuttle, and Space Shuttle-Mir mission from 1961 to 1996. Helfert believes these images may be the only set in existence to cover all known areas of environmental change over the face of the earth. Also included are approximately 3,300 4" x 6" contact transparencies of mixed flights made on 200 mm color transparency film base. Helfert believes these to be the only set of direct contact transparencies in existence since there is no longer a NASA photo lab to produce them.
Access Restrictions
To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.
Copyright
Arizona State University does not own the copyright to this collection. We recognize that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.
Personal Name(s) Helfert, Michael R.
Corporate Name(s) Space Shuttle Earth Observations Project (U.S.).
Geographic Name(s) Earth -- Photographs from space -- Archival resources.
Subject(s) Climatic changes -- Environmental aspects.
Space photography -- Archival resources.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Michael Helfert Viewing Earth from Space Collection, MSS-384, Arizona State University Library.
Provenance
Gift of Michael R. Helfert, September, 1999; January, 2002.
Container List Series I: Personal Papers Box Folder 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 1 10 1 11 Looking down from Space , by Anne Platoff,
1996 1 12
Series II: Space Shuttle Hand-Held Photography Catalog Box Folder 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 2 10 2 11 2 12 2 13 2 14 Box Folder 3 1 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 7 3 8 3 9 3 10 Box Folder 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 4 9 Box Folder 5 1 5 2 5 3 5 4 5 5 5 6 5 7 5 8 5 9 Box Folder 6 1 6 2 6 3 6 4 6 5 6 6
Series III: Pre-Flight Training Manuals Box Folder 7 1 7 2 7 3 7 4 7 5 7 6 Box Folder 8 1 8 2 8 2 8 3 8 3 8 4 8 4 Box Folder 9 1 9 1 9 2 9 2 9 3 9 3 9 4 9 4 9 5 9 5 9 6 9 6 9 7 9 7 9 8 9 8 Box Folder 10 1 10 1 10 2 10 2 10 3 10 3 10 4 10 4 10 5 10 6 10 6 10 7 Box Folder 11 1 11 2 11 3 11 4 11 5 11 6 Box Folder 12 1 12 2 12 3 12 4 Box Folder 13 1 13 2 13 3 13 4 13 5 13 6 Box Folder 14 1 14 2 14 3 14 4 Box Folder 15 1 15 2 15 3 15 4 15 5
Series IV: Naval Environmental Predictions Research, Facility-Tactical Applications Department Box Folder 16 1 16 2 16 3 Box Folder 17 1 17 2 17 3 17 4 17 5 Box Folder 18 1 18 2 18 3
Series V: Photography Box Folder 19 1 19 2 19 3 Box Folder 20 1 20 2 20 3 20 4 Box Folder 21 1 21 2 Box Folder 22 1 22 2 Box Folder 23 1 23 2 Box Folder 24 1 24 2 Box Folder 25 1 25 2 Box Folder 26 1 26 2 Box Folder 27 1 27 2 Box Folder 28 1 28 2 Box Folder 29 1 29 1 Box Folder 30 1 30 2 Box Folder 31 1 31 2 Box Folder 32 1 32 2 32 3 Box Folder 33 1 33 2 33 3 Box Folder 34 1 34 2 34 3 34 4 Box Folder 35 1 35 2 Box Folder 36 1 36 2 36 3 Box Folder 37 1 37 2 Box Folder 38 1 38 2 Box Folder 39 1 39 2 39 3 Box Folder 40 1 40 2 40 3 Box Folder 41 1 41 2 41 3 41 4 Box Folder 42 1 42 2 42 3 Box Folder 43 1 43 2 43 3 Box Folder 44 1 44 2 44 3 Box Folder 45 1 45 2 45 3 Box Folder 46 1 46 2 46 3 Box Folder 47 1 47 2 47 3 47 4 47 5 47 6 47 7 Box Folder 48 1 48 2 48 3 48 4 48 5 48 6 48 7 Box Folder 49 1 49 2 49 3 49 4 49 5 49 6 49 7 Box Folder 50 1 50 2 50 3 50 4 50 5 50 6 50 7 Box Folder 51 1 51 2 51 3 51 4 51 5 51 6 51 7 Box Folder 52 1 52 2 52 3 52 4 52 5 52 6 52 7 Box Folder 53 1 53 2 53 3 53 4 53 5 53 6 53 7 Box Folder 54 1 54 3 54 4 54 5 54 6 54 7 Box Folder 55 1 55 2 55 2 55 3 55 4 55 5 55 6 55 7 Box Folder 56 1 Cosmos ,
1985 January 56 2 56 3 56 4 56 5 56 6 Box Folder 57 1 Box Folder 58 1 Box Folder 59 1 59 2 59 3 59 4 59 5 59 6 59 7 59 8 59 9 Box Folder 60 1 60 2 60 3 60 4 60 5 60 6 60 7 Box Folder 61 1 61 2 61 3 61 4 61 5 Box Folder 62 1 Box Folder 63 1 Box Folder 64 1 Box Folder 65 1 Box Folder 66 1 Box Folder 67 1 Box Folder 68 1 68 2 68 3 68 4 68 5 Box Folder 69 1 69 2 69 3 69 4 69 5 69 6 Box Folder 70 1 70 2 70 3 70 4 70 5 70 6 Box Folder 71 1 71 2 71 3 71 4 71 5 71 6 Box Folder 72 1 72 2 72 3 72 4 Box Folder 73 1 73 2 73 3 73 4 Box Folder 74 1 74 2 74 3 74 4 Box Folder 75 2 75 3 75 4 75 5 Box Folder 76 1 76 2 76 7 Box Folder 77 1 77 2 77 3 77 4 77 5 Box Folder 78 1 78 2 78 3 78 4 78 5 78 6 78 6 78 7 Box Folder 79 1 79 2 Box Folder 80 1 Box Folder 81 1 Box Folder 82 1 Box Folder 83 1 Box Folder 84 1 Box Folder 85 1 Box Folder 86 1
Series VI: Climatological Data Box Folder 87 1 87 2 87 3 87 4 87 5 87 6 87 7 87 8 87 9 87 10 Box Folder 88 1 88 2 88 3 88 4 88 5 88 6 88 7 88 8 Box Folder 89 1 89 2 89 3 89 4 89 5 89 6 89 7 Box Folder 90 1 90 2 90 3 90 4 90 5 90 6 Box Folder 91 1 91 2 91 3 91 4
Series VII: Audio-Visual Materials Box Folder 92 1 92 1 92 2 92 3 92 4 92 5 92 6 92 7 92 8 92 9 92 10 92 11 92 12 92 13 92 14 92 15 92 16 92 17 92 18 92 19 92 20 92 21 92 22 92 23 Box Folder 93 1 Box Folder 94 1 Box Folder 95 1 95 2 95 3 95 4 95 5 95 6 95 7 95 8 95 9 Box Folder 96 1 96 2
