At any given time, thousands of thunderstorms are active across the globe, producing an average of 50 lightning strikes per second. Lightning strikes usually co-occur with stormy weather events like hail, floods and tornados, and impact the atmosphere’s chemical composition.In the ILAN-ES experiment, researchers on the ISS observed electrical storms and certain optical phenomena in the upper atmosphere. These phenomena, called “sprites”, occur at altitudes of 50 to 90 km in the mesosphere and in the stratosphere, and are associated with exceptionally powerful lightning strikes.

The observations from space were complemented by measurements from a network of cameras positioned around the world, including at 11 schools in Israel and six more in Africa and Hong Kong. Research groups from Japan, France, Hungary, New Zealand, Denmark, the United States and Brazil also took part in the observations, joined by amateurs from Puerto Rico, central Europe and South-America. Additional data encompassing various ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum was collected from global systems and worldwide networks for the purpose of mapping the powerful lightning strikes.

Stibbe and the research team on the ISS received daily forecasts of storm locations and pointed the camera accordingly, similar to how Colonel Ilan Ramon conducted the MEIDEX experiment during the 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle mission. The experiment’s objective was to improve our understanding of atmospheric electrical processes and investigate their relationship with current climate change.

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