Plain Language Summary
The Lightning Imaging Sensor on the International Space Station (ISS
LIS) has been operating on-orbit since February 2017. The instrument has
met all of its major science objectives, including detecting lightning
day and night, identifying the specific locations within storms that are
producing lightning, millisecond timing accuracy, and high probability
of detecting lightning. The instrument also measures energy emitted by
lightning, provides background images of storms and their surroundings,
and delivers realtime lightning data. This has enabled enrichment and
extension of the long-term global climatology of lightning from space,
and provides more recent extension of the global record to higher
latitudes (+/- 55 degrees). In addition, the instrument is serving as a
standard for comparison to other spaceborne lightning sensors, such as
the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). The realtime data from ISS LIS
have enabled new applications for the benefit of the public, including
weather forecasting and public safety. Finally, ISS LIS - in conjunction
with other satellite instruments - is providing opportunities for new
scientific study in areas such as lightning physics, thunderstorm
processes, and atmospheric composition.