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  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: STS043-608-45 Date: Aug. 1991
Geographic Region: JAPAN
Feature: OKINAWA, KADENA

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  View Low-Resolution Image  
  STS043-608-45 Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands August 1991
Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands Archipelago, is visible in this near-vertical photograph. The long, narrow, irregular-shaped island of Okinawa, which is volcanic in origin, covers 454 square miles (1176 square kilometers). The southern half of the island is surrounded by coral formations; the northern half is mountainous, rising to 1657 feet (505 meters) above sea level, and is covered with dense vegetation (darker green). Most of the population and the agricultural areas, which produce sugarcane, sweet potatoes, and rice, exist in the southern half of the island. Fishing is also an important industry. The large U.S. military airfield at Kadena is discernible near the center of the photograph. Okinawa was the site of one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War II (March through June 1945). Under United States control since August 1945, the island was returned to Japanese control in May 1972. Negotiations in April 1996 called for some U.S. military installations to be closed and the land returned to the people of Okinawa; however, numerous U.S. military installations remain scattered throughout the island.

The southern half of the island of Okinawa, Japan (26.5N, 128.0E) can be seen in this nearly cloud free view. Okinawa is part of the Ryuku Islands which extend from Taiwan northeastward to Kyushu, southernmost of the Japanese Home Islands. The large military base at Kadena, with large runways, is visible near the center of the scene. Kadena is one of several emergency landing sites around the world for the space shuttle.
 
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Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 74k
Mission: STS043  
Roll - Frame: 608 - 45
Geographical Name: JAPAN  
Features: OKINAWA, KADENA  
Center Lat x Lon: 26.5N x 128.0E
Film Exposure: N   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 5
 
Camera: RX
 
Camera Tilt: LO   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 250  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction:   The direction from the nadir to the center point, N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
Stereo?: Y   Y=Yes there is an adjacent picture of the same area, N=No there isn't
Orbit Number:  
 
Date: 199108__   YYYYMMDD
Time:   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: N  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: E  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth:   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude:   nautical miles
Sun Elevation:   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: ISLAND, COAST, HILL  
Water Views: OCEAN, BAY, REEF  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views: AIRPORT, URBAN AREA, DEFORESTATION  
City Views: KADENA  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


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