Phosphate mine in the Sahara. View from the International Space Station (ISS) of Bou Craa phosphate mine, one of the few human patterns visible from space in this almost entirely uninhabited western extremity of the Sahara Desert. This mine produces millions of tonnes of phosphates every year. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in agriculture and industry. Photographed on 16 June 2018 by a member of the Expedition 56 crew. Such photographs are provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit at the Johnson Space Center.