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1993-05-03
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PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 1991
Several instruments under study at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory to provide global coverage and surface imaging of
Earth's changing environment have been selected for flight on the
first of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites.
The space-borne instruments and principal investigators at
JPL confirmed for flight on the EOS-A1 satellite, the first of
three satellites in the EOS-A series, include:
* The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) team, led by
Dr. Moustafa Chahine, chief scientist at JPL.
* The Multi-Angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR),
led by Dr. David Diner, principal investigator of the
experiment.
* The Stick Scatterometer (STIKSCAT) investigation, led by
principal investigator Dr. Michael Freilich.
In addition, Dr. Alexander Goetz of the University of
Colorado will oversee JPL's development of the High Resolution
Imaging Spectrometer (HIRIS). The instrument was not selected
for flight on EOS-A1 because of unresolved technical issues, but
will be a candidate for flight on subsequent EOS satellites.
A team led by JPL's Dr. Richard Willson also will develop
the Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM), another
instrument targeted for flight on a platform of opportunity.
EOS is the centerpiece of NASA's "Mission to Planet Earth,"
a global-scale research program that will study the Earth as an
integrated environmental system, focusing on the interactions of
the atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces and biosphere.
1
"Mission to Planet Earth" is NASA's contribution to the U.S.
Global Change Research Program, a multi-agency federal program to
observe the Earth, improve understanding of natural and human-
induced global change and develop better models and predictive
capabilities for interpreting environmental changes.
"The primary goal of the EOS-A satellites is to study the
effects of potential global warming by conducting long-term
research into the key parameters of the Earth's surface and
atmosphere," said Dr. Charles Elachi, assistant laboratory
director for JPL's Office of Space Science and Instruments.
"Global changes are very complicated and require long-term
monitoring," he said. "The EOS-A series will help determine the
extent and causes of global climate changes through a program of
long-term observations."
Launch of the first satellite, tentatively scheduled for
1998, will mark the beginning of a 15-year-long program of
observations of the Earth system, which includes the oceans, land
surface, and lower and upper atmospheres.
Specific observations from EOS-A1 will include measurements
of the balance of radiation that is absorbed from the sun and
emitted by Earth. This radiation balance heats and cools Earth's
atmosphere and drives the circulation of the oceans.
Other measurements will include atmospheric circulation,
air-sea interactions and the measurement of biological processes,
such as the production of phytoplankton, a factor in helping
regulate the flow of carbon in the sea. The exchange of carbon
between the oceans, surface and atmosphere is essential to
understanding potential global warming and the increase of carbon
dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.
Nine of the 11 instruments will conduct simultaneous
observations of related environmental variables, such as the role
of clouds and water vapor on temperature and humidity, or the
impact of surface winds on oceanic gas exchange.
"These atmospheric interactions are very important in
understanding global warming," Elachi said. "It is critical that
we monitor temperature fluctuations, atmospheric and surface
patterns simultaneously to understand how they combine to produce
certain environmental conditions."
Global views of the Earth system, possible only through use
of the space-borne instruments, will enable scientists to make
integrated measurements of these environmental patterns without
interruptions from rapid atmospheric changes or sudden shifts of
sunlight, Elachi said.
JPL's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) will measure
atmospheric temperature profiles with an accuracy of 1 degree
Centigrade and provide data on atmospheric water vapor, cloud
cover, and sea- and land-surface temperatures.
The Multi-Angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) will
obtain global observations of the amount of light that is
reflected from the Earth's surface and atmosphere at multiple
view angles.
MISR will help characterize the optical properties of
atmospheric hazes, clouds and the Earth's surface to monitor
environmental changes and predict climatic effects.
The Stick Scatterometer (STIKSCAT) is a microwave radar to
measure surface wind speeds and directions over the oceans to
study atmosphere-ocean interactions and improve global weather
predictions.
The Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM),
which does not require the polar orbit of the EOS-A series, will
make long-term measurements of the amount of sunlight reaching
Earth's upper atmosphere and help determine the influence of
variations in solar output on climate change.
The High-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (HIRIS) will use
its high imaging resolution of 30 meters to study biological and
geophysical processes. HIRIS will be able to study complex
interactions along the borders of different marine ecosystems,
for instance, and determine the annual cycle of phytoplankton in
the open sea and along the coastal waters.
The JPL EOS-A satellite instruments are being developed
under the auspices of the Laboratory's Office of Space Science
and Instruments.
The EOS project is managed by the Goddard Space Flight
Center in Greenbelt, Md., for NASA's Office of Space Science and
Applications. Overall program management is an international
effort involving NASA, the European Space Agency, Japan and
Canada.
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