Frequently Asked Questions

General
1. How does EarthKAM serve as an Educational tool for teachers?

Depending on how the images are used, EarthKAM can provide support in teaching earth science, space science, environmental science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications, and art.
2. Who may register?

Teachers, school administrators, and other youth organization leaders are allowed to sign up with their group of students.
3. How do I register?

Click here to register online.
4. I'm a student or a parent. Can I register for a mission?

Only teachers or other education leaders can sign up with EarthKAM. However, we encourage you to tell your teacher or your child's teacher about EarthKAM and get them involved!

Participation Requirements

1. Does it cost anything to participate?

No! Participation in the EarthKAM program is always free of charge. It only requires your time.
2. How do I participate in my first mission?

Register online at the registration page. EarthKAM will be in touch with you soon to give you a login and password to access the SMOC pages.
3. Can I participate more than once?

Yes. Schools that participate multiple times will be asked to submit some samples of student work and complete an on-line evaluation form once a year.
4. What do I do if I change schools?

Login to the ISS EarthKAM Community page and change the school which you are registered. Then, send us an email at ek-help@earthkam.ucsd.edu letting us know of the change.

Mission

1. What time standard are the deadlines given in?

The deadlines are given in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). You can learn more about GMT from this section of our site, or view the current GMT time here.
2. Do you have any pre-mission training ideas?

There are many resources on our website for both you and your students.

1. Activities for Educators
2. Activities for Students
3. Student Resources
4. Practice site

3. What does SMOC stand for?

A SMOC is a Student Mission Operations Center. This center is usually comprised of computers, slider maps, and other tools to help request photos.

Photos

1. How do I find the photos that I requested?

To find your photos, go to the Photo List page. On the Control Panel on the left-hand side of the page, select the current Flight. Enter your school's login in the "School" box. You may fill in other search criteria to limit the number of results, if you want. Click the "View" button to see your photos.
2. What does the flight name mean?

The flight name tells where the picture was taken from, as well as the month and year during which the mission occurred. For example, "iss05_04" was a mission from the International Space Station, during April (04) 2005.
3. Why were my photo requests rejected?

Your photo request may be rejected for a number of reasons. Check the error code on the photolist page. For a list of what the error code means, click on the link at the bottom of the photolist page. The most common sources of error are:

1. It was submitted after the deadline (Error Code 15)
2. The North/South or East/West options on the Photo Entry Page are incorrectly checked (Error Code 14)
3. The Lat/Lon coordinates entered on the Photo Entry Page do not correspond with the GMT (Error Code 14)

4. How many requests can I submit per day?

You may submit an unlimited number of requests, one per codeword. If you start to run out of codewords, email us and we will send you more promptly.
5. When do we submit our requests for certain orbits?

Submit your photo requests before the deadline for each particular orbit. The deadlines are listed on the Status page. The deadlines are given in GMT.
6. How do I look at my photos from previous missions?

On the photolist page, change the flight to whichever mission you are interested in, or select "All Flights" to view pictures from all missions.
7. What are the northernmost and southernmost latitudes that the camera is able to capture?

It is about 50°-55° North or South of the equator.
8. How close together can I take pictures?

The camera can only take one picture every 10 seconds.
9. Can I look at images taken by other schools?

Yes. The datasystem archives photos from every mission and every school. Your school and the general public can access all photos taken through the EarthKAM program on this portion of the site.

Logins and Passwords

1. I've registered! Why won't my login and password work?

Once you have registered, we will send you a login and password to access the SMOC pages. The login and password you created when you registered are only used for changing your contact information.
2. Why won't my login and password work?

Both the login and the password are case-sensitive. Make sure they are entered correctly. If this does not solve the problem, please contact ek-help@earthkam.ucsd.edu.

Codewords

1. What is a codeword?

A codeword contains a total of 8 letters and numbers with no spaces in between. It is case sensitive. Example: space123
2. Where do I use a codeword?

Codewords are used on the photo entry page to request photos.
3. How do I receive my codewords?

Codewords are emailed to you shortly before the mission.
4. How many codewords do I get?

We initially email every school 100 codewords. When you run out of codewords, email us, and we will send you more.
5. Can I reuse a codeword?

No. One codeword is used for each photo request.
6. What is a RID?

A RID (Request Identification) is a six-digit number unique to one specific codeword. It is used on the photo list page to track your photo requests and help you find your photos.
7. Where do I use my RID?

Your RID is used on the photo list page to track your photo requests and help you find your photos.
8. Can my codewords be used for multiple missions?

No. Codewords may only be used during the mission for which they are issued.
9. Why aren't my codewords working?

Codewords are case-sensitive. If you enter it incorrectly, it won't work. Also, be sure you only enter the 8-character codeword, and NOT the RID.
10. How do I receive a RID?

A RID (Request Identification Number) comes in the same email as your codewords. Each codeword is paired to one RID and can then be used to track the specific image that was requested using that codeword.

Practice Site

1. What is the purpose of the practice site?

The practice site is designed for learning how to enter codewords and photo requests. It also allows to become more familiar with our procedures before the mission starts.
2. How is the practice site different from the real site?

There are two ways in which the practice site differs from the real site.

1. The status page does not change like it would during the mission. On the real site, during the mission, the status page constantly changes as deadlines pass.
2. Submitting photo request on the practice site will not end up with a photo being taken from the international space station.

3. When/How do I get access to the practice site?

Your login and password for the real site also allows access to this site. You will be sent codewords for this site shortly after you receive your login and password.
4. Do I receive real pictures from the practice site?

No. The practice site is just for learning how to enter codewords and photo requests. You do not get real photos.
5. What happens after I submit a request?

Our systems will make sure your request is valid (ex. distance off track, deadlines, etc). If the request is valid, a successful submission screen will appear. If not, the screen will appear letting you know what needs to be changed.
6. Can I use my practice site codewords more than once?

Yes. Unlike mission codewords, practice site codewords may be reused.
7. Can I use my practice site codewords for the mission?

No. Practice site codewords will only work on the practice site.

Datasystem

1. What is the difference between STS and ISS images?

STS images were taken while the EarthKAM camera was still positioned on the Space Shuttle during missions. It was changed to ISS when the camera was moved to the International Space Station. All images marked with an ISS are more recent and were taken from the perspective of the Space Station versus the Shace Shuttle.
2. Why is my school not listed under the "Search by School" function?

If you are new to the EarthKAM program, the list of schools on the datasystem has likely not been updated yet with your school. If your school has participated with EarthKAM before, please notify EK-Help (ek-help@earthkam.ucsd.edu) so we can identify the problem.


If you were unable to find an answer to your question, please do not hesitate to contact EK-Help at: ek-help@earthkam.ucsd.edu

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