NASA Unveils Two New Earth System Explorers Missions to Unlock Environmental Secrets
Two ambitious satellite missions have been selected by NASA to help the agency better comprehend our planet and enhance its ability to predict environmental events and mitigate disasters. The selected missions, part of the Earth System Explorers Program, are designed to provide critical data on Earth's surface topography, ecosystems, and atmosphere.
According to Nicky Fox, associate administrator at the Science Mission Directorate, NASA will utilize its unique vantage point in space to study the Earth and deliver life-saving information to disaster response teams. The two missions, STRIVE and EDGE, will focus on understanding extreme environments beyond our planet, ensuring the safety of astronauts and spacecraft as they prepare for future lunar and Mars missions.
The STRIVE mission, led by Lyatt Jaeglé at the University of Washington, aims to provide daily, near-global measurements of temperature, atmospheric elements, and aerosol properties from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere. This high-resolution data will support longer-range weather forecasts, crucial for protecting coastal communities that host nearly half of the world's population.
In contrast, the EDGE mission, led by Helen Amanda Fricker at the University of California San Diego, will observe the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems and the surface topography of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice. This data will provide valuable insights into conditions affecting land and sea transportation corridors, as well as other areas of commercial interest.
The selected missions have advanced to the next phase of development, with each set to undergo a confirmation review in 2027. The total estimated cost for each mission is $355 million, excluding launch costs, with a target launch date no earlier than 2030. By unlocking the secrets of our planet, NASA aims to enhance its ability to respond to environmental challenges and pave the way for future exploration beyond Earth.
Two ambitious satellite missions have been selected by NASA to help the agency better comprehend our planet and enhance its ability to predict environmental events and mitigate disasters. The selected missions, part of the Earth System Explorers Program, are designed to provide critical data on Earth's surface topography, ecosystems, and atmosphere.
According to Nicky Fox, associate administrator at the Science Mission Directorate, NASA will utilize its unique vantage point in space to study the Earth and deliver life-saving information to disaster response teams. The two missions, STRIVE and EDGE, will focus on understanding extreme environments beyond our planet, ensuring the safety of astronauts and spacecraft as they prepare for future lunar and Mars missions.
The STRIVE mission, led by Lyatt Jaeglé at the University of Washington, aims to provide daily, near-global measurements of temperature, atmospheric elements, and aerosol properties from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere. This high-resolution data will support longer-range weather forecasts, crucial for protecting coastal communities that host nearly half of the world's population.
In contrast, the EDGE mission, led by Helen Amanda Fricker at the University of California San Diego, will observe the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems and the surface topography of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice. This data will provide valuable insights into conditions affecting land and sea transportation corridors, as well as other areas of commercial interest.
The selected missions have advanced to the next phase of development, with each set to undergo a confirmation review in 2027. The total estimated cost for each mission is $355 million, excluding launch costs, with a target launch date no earlier than 2030. By unlocking the secrets of our planet, NASA aims to enhance its ability to respond to environmental challenges and pave the way for future exploration beyond Earth.
... like, dont get me wrong, understanding our environment is super important but $355 million is a lotta cash 
... & whats up with the delay? 2030?! that's ages from now 
... on the other hand, its kinda cool that theyre gonna be studying extreme environtments for future space travel 
... but at what cost? 
! i mean, can you imagine having more accurate weather forecasts and being able to predict natural disasters? 
it's all about saving lives and protecting communities. i'm low-key excited for the STRIVE mission - who wouldn't want to know what's going on in the upper atmosphere? 
but seriously, these missions are a huge step forward in our understanding of earth's systems. NASA is literally unlocking the secrets of our home planet 
. These new missions are gonna give us so much valuable data on how to protect coastal communities from extreme weather events 
. It's crazy that half of the world's population lives in these areas 
. The fact that they're also studying ecosystems and atmosphere is a big deal, it'll help us predict natural disasters way more accurately 
. I'm stoked that NASA is investing so much in this program 
. Maybe one day we can use all this info to create more sustainable cities 
.
, or knowing exactly how much carbon emissions we have left 
. It's mind-blowing that these new missions will help NASA figure all that out 
, 'cause it could lead to some major breakthroughs in sustainability and stuff 
. But at the same time, I wish we didn't have to be so concerned with environmental issues in the first place 
.
. Here's hoping these missions bring some real change and help us figure out our planet's secrets 
. Like, if we can learn more about how Earth's surface works, it's gotta translate to other planets and moons out there, right? So yeah, I'm all in on these missions – bring on the space exploration adventures! 
. The fact that we can get daily weather forecasts with this data is huge 
The new missions are supposed to be game-changers, but we've got to see how they actually work out. I hope they don't just end up collecting data like a bunch of kids with a fancy new toy 
. Strive and Edge might sound cool, but how's that $355 million going to get them the satellite parts and crew ready for launch? That's still some crazy money 
! It's about time we get some more info on our planet 
. By the way, have you seen that movie Interstellar? It was all about space travel and Earth's future... anywayz, let's hope NASA can make our planet's secrets a little more clear 
Still, I guess it's all about progress and trying new things, right? 
.
. and the fact that they're working on understanding extreme environments is literally fascinating 