NASA Unveils Next-Gen Satellite Missions to Unlock Earth's Secrets
The US space agency has selected two groundbreaking satellite missions that will significantly enhance its understanding of the Earth and improve its capabilities to predict environmental events and mitigate disasters.
According to NASA, these cutting-edge satellites are part of the Earth System Explorers Program, which focuses on conducting high-quality Earth science investigations to address key priorities set by the scientific community and national needs. The two missions - STRIVE (Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer) and EDGE (Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer) - have been chosen for continued development.
STRIVE, led by Lyatt Jaeglé at the University of Washington, will collect daily, near-global, high-resolution data on temperature, atmospheric elements, and aerosol properties from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere. This information is crucial for producing longer-range weather forecasts, a vital tool in protecting coastal communities where nearly half the world's population resides.
On the other hand, EDGE, led by Helen Amanda Fricker at the University of California San Diego, will observe the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems and surface topography of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice. This mission aims to provide an advancement beyond existing measurements recorded from space by NASA's ICESat-2 and GEDI.
Both missions are expected to advance our understanding of Earth's systems and enable longer-range weather forecasting, support commercial interests, and enhance the safety of astronauts and spacecraft as NASA returns to the Moon with its Artemis campaign and ventures further into the solar system.
The selected missions will undergo a confirmation review in 2027, which will assess their progress and availability of funds. If confirmed, each mission's estimated cost will not exceed $355 million, with a launch date no earlier than 2030.
For more information about the Earth System Explorers Program, visit: https://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/2023ESE
The US space agency has selected two groundbreaking satellite missions that will significantly enhance its understanding of the Earth and improve its capabilities to predict environmental events and mitigate disasters.
According to NASA, these cutting-edge satellites are part of the Earth System Explorers Program, which focuses on conducting high-quality Earth science investigations to address key priorities set by the scientific community and national needs. The two missions - STRIVE (Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer) and EDGE (Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer) - have been chosen for continued development.
STRIVE, led by Lyatt Jaeglé at the University of Washington, will collect daily, near-global, high-resolution data on temperature, atmospheric elements, and aerosol properties from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere. This information is crucial for producing longer-range weather forecasts, a vital tool in protecting coastal communities where nearly half the world's population resides.
On the other hand, EDGE, led by Helen Amanda Fricker at the University of California San Diego, will observe the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems and surface topography of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice. This mission aims to provide an advancement beyond existing measurements recorded from space by NASA's ICESat-2 and GEDI.
Both missions are expected to advance our understanding of Earth's systems and enable longer-range weather forecasting, support commercial interests, and enhance the safety of astronauts and spacecraft as NASA returns to the Moon with its Artemis campaign and ventures further into the solar system.
The selected missions will undergo a confirmation review in 2027, which will assess their progress and availability of funds. If confirmed, each mission's estimated cost will not exceed $355 million, with a launch date no earlier than 2030.
For more information about the Earth System Explorers Program, visit: https://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/2023ESE
I mean, think about it - we're talking next-gen satellite missions that can give us a way better understanding of our amazing planet! Like, being able to predict weather events and help save coastal communities is literally life-changing. And the fact that these missions are going to help us learn more about our ecosystems and glaciers... it's like, wow! 
The fact that NASA is investing in this kinda tech is super awesome too, it's all about exploring and discovering new things! 
Let's keep cheering on NASA and their amazing team of scientists who are working tirelessly to make this happen 
. So like these new satellites NASA is working on... that sounds so cool! I've always been fascinated by weather forecasts, like how they can predict storms and stuff. I live near the beach so I get hit with some crazy weather sometimes 
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. I mean, I've heard of climate change but I don't really know much about it.
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. Two satellites to study the Earth? How original. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend billions of dollars to monitor the weather and glaciers? It's not like we have enough problems on our own planet already... 
. And who knows, maybe one day these satellites will even help keep astronauts safe during their lunar vacations 
Anyway, if these missions can improve our understanding of Earth's systems and help us predict environmental events, I think we're on the right track 
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. I mean, who doesn't want to know more about what's going on with our planet, right? And it's not just about science, it's also gonna help commercial interests and astronauts' safety - that's some awesome stuff too 
. NASA's always pushing the boundaries of space exploration - I'm hyped for what they're gonna come up with next!
! thinkin bout how much we'll learn from 'em is mind blowin 
! NASA's doin some amazin things w/ these missions and i'm hyped 4 the future 
. I mean, think about it - two more pieces of tech in space just to learn more about our precious Earth 
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Like, isn't that just a fancy way of saying "we have no idea how to handle our own messes"? 
they'll help us predict weather patterns and natural disasters way better 
and we'll have more info on the earth's systems 
to save lives and protect our planet 
Anyway, these new satellite missions are pretty cool. STRIVE sounds like it'll help us get a better grasp on global temps and stuff, which is super important for predicting natural disasters. EDGE seems like it'll give us more insight into our planet's ecosystems too, which is awesome.
. And can you imagine the progress we'd make with tech if we could just get these things online a decade ago?! 