NASA Unveils Two New Earth System Explorer Missions to Better Understand Our Planet and Prepare for Future Space Exploration.
Two cutting-edge satellite missions have been selected by NASA as part of its Earth System Explorers Program, a program aimed at conducting high-quality Earth science missions that focus on key priorities identified by the scientific community. The chosen projects will significantly enhance NASA's ability to foresee environmental events, mitigate disasters, and understand the complexities of our home planet.
The STRIVE (Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer) mission is expected to provide unprecedented daily, near-global measurements of temperature, atmospheric elements, and aerosol properties from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere. This will enable more accurate long-range weather forecasts, a vital tool for protecting coastal communities that house nearly half the world's population.
According to Lyatt Jaeglé, the mission leader at the University of Washington in Seattle, this data is essential for understanding the recovery of the ozone layer and supporting more precise weather forecasting.
On the other hand, the EDGE (Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer) mission will observe the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems and surface topography of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice. This data will advance beyond current measurements from NASA's ICESat-2 and GEDI satellites, providing critical insights into conditions affecting land and sea transportation corridors.
Helen Amanda Fricker, the mission leader at the University of California San Diego, is part of this ambitious endeavor.
Both missions have been chosen to advance in development after passing a confirmation review scheduled for 2027. The estimated total cost per mission will not exceed $355 million, with launch dates set no earlier than 2030.
To learn more about NASA's Earth System Explorers Program, please visit: https://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/2023ESE
Two cutting-edge satellite missions have been selected by NASA as part of its Earth System Explorers Program, a program aimed at conducting high-quality Earth science missions that focus on key priorities identified by the scientific community. The chosen projects will significantly enhance NASA's ability to foresee environmental events, mitigate disasters, and understand the complexities of our home planet.
The STRIVE (Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer) mission is expected to provide unprecedented daily, near-global measurements of temperature, atmospheric elements, and aerosol properties from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere. This will enable more accurate long-range weather forecasts, a vital tool for protecting coastal communities that house nearly half the world's population.
According to Lyatt Jaeglé, the mission leader at the University of Washington in Seattle, this data is essential for understanding the recovery of the ozone layer and supporting more precise weather forecasting.
On the other hand, the EDGE (Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer) mission will observe the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems and surface topography of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice. This data will advance beyond current measurements from NASA's ICESat-2 and GEDI satellites, providing critical insights into conditions affecting land and sea transportation corridors.
Helen Amanda Fricker, the mission leader at the University of California San Diego, is part of this ambitious endeavor.
Both missions have been chosen to advance in development after passing a confirmation review scheduled for 2027. The estimated total cost per mission will not exceed $355 million, with launch dates set no earlier than 2030.
To learn more about NASA's Earth System Explorers Program, please visit: https://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/2023ESE
! It makes me think that we're all part of this crazy system together - the Earth. We gotta take care of it, you know? It's like our home and everything that happens here affects us directly or indirectly. These satellites are gonna help us understand that better, so we can make informed decisions about how to live with nature instead of against it 
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It just goes to show that science is all about serving humanity, not just advancing tech. Anyway, I'm rooting for these missions and hoping we can tap into this knowledge to make the world a better place 
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. I mean, can you imagine not knowing when a hurricane is gonna hit? It's crazy 
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. I'm also hyped about the data they're gonna get on glaciers and sea ice... it'll be like, totally revealing about how our planet's surface is changing over time 
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And yeah, 2030 feels like forever, but at least we've got some solid info now 
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These new space missions are gonna be 
I'm low-key hyped for the STRIVE mission to get those daily temps and aerosol readings 
. It's like, we gotta know what's goin' on in our atmosphere right now 
. And EDGE is all about gettin' the 3D scoop on our planet's surface 
. Glacier ice sheets, sea ice, it's all connected 
. We need this data to make better weather forecasts and protect those coastal communities 
. NASA's doin' their thang, can't wait for these missions to launch in 2030 
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. I'm not saying NASA doesn't do important work, but this feels like a bit of a PR stunt to me...