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GPM Core ObservatoryGlobal PrecipitationMeasurement Core Observatory Launched: 2014 Orbit: 407 km Collects data globally
( Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory )
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GPM Core Observatory
Function & InformationProfiles rain and snow distribution, amount, rate, and heat release to improve understanding of Earth’s water and energy cycle and improve forecasting of extreme weather events.
Further ExplorationGPM Core Mission Page
Orbit: 407 km; collects data globallyLaunched: 2014 Design life: 3 years Initial NASA cost: $933 million International partner: Japan
OCO-2Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 Launched: 2014 Orbit: 705 km Collects data globally
Function & InformationMeasures atmospheric CO2 with the resolution to characterize sources and sinks on regional scales.
Further ExplorationOCO-2 Mission Page
Orbit: 705 km; collects data globallyLaunched: 2014 Design life: 2 years Initial NASA cost: $468 million
( Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 )
OCO-2
OSTM/Jason-2Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 Launched: 2008 Orbit: 1,336 km Collects data globally
OSTM/Jason-2
Function & InformationMeasures sea surface height to assess climate variability and water and energy cycles. Changes in sea level provide information on heat distribution in the upper ocean. Jason-3 is scheduled to launch in 2015.
Further ExplorationOSTM/Jason-2 Mission Page
Orbit: 1,336 km; collects data globallyLaunched: 2008 Design life: 3 years Initial NASA and NOAA cost: $195 million NASA 2015 budget request: $2.1 million International partners: Europe, France
( Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 )
Aquarius Launched: 2011 Orbit: 657 km Collects data globally
Function & InformationMaps sea surface salinity, along with temperature, precipitation, wind speed, sea ice, and water vapor, for better understanding of the global water cycle and ocean circulation.
Further ExplorationAquarius Mission Page
Orbit: 657 km; collects data globallyLaunched: 2011 Design life: 3 years Initial NASA cost: $304 million NASA 2015 budget request: $5.1 million International partner: Argentina
Aquarius
CALIPSO & CloudSatCloud-Aerosol Lidar & Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations Launched: 2006 Orbit: 705 km Collects data globally
( Cloud-Aerosol Lidar & Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations )
CALIPSO & CloudSat
Further ExplorationCALIPSO Mission PageCloudSat Mission PageCloudSat VideoCATS Mission Page
Function & InformationProvide high-resolution vertical profiles of aerosols and clouds, along with their climate effects, and estimates of how efficiently the atmosphere produces rain. The Cloud-Aerosol transport System (CATS) instrument, scheduled to launch later this year for installation on the International Space Station, is to provide continuity for CALIPSO measurements.
Orbit: 705 km; collect data globallyLaunched: 2006 Design life: 3 years Initial NASA, Department of Energy,and U.S. Air Force cost: $502 million NASA 2015 budget request: $14.9 million International partners: France, Canada
CALIPSO & CloudSat
SORCESolar Radiation & Climate Experiment Launched: 2003 Orbit: 645 km Collects data from sun
Further ExplorationSORCE Mission Page
Orbit: 645 km; collects data from sunLaunched: 2003 Design life: 5 years Initial NASA cost: $129 million NASA 2015 budget request: $3.4 million
( Solar Radiation & Climate Experiment )
SORCE
Function & InformationMonitors solar irradiance to better understand solar variability and its effects on Earth’s atmosphere and climate.
Aura Launched: 2004 Orbit: 705 km Collects data globally
Aura
Function & InformationProvides information on atmospheric chemistry and air quality, including exchange of energy and molecules between the troposphere and stratosphere and chemistry-climate interactions. Molecules monitored include O3, H2O, OH, HO2, CO, CH4, CH2O, C2H2O2, CH3CN, N2O, NO2, HNO3, SO2, ClO, HCl, BrO, and OClO.
Further ExplorationAura Mission Page
Orbit: 705 km; collects data globallyLaunched: 2004 Design life: 5 years Initial NASA cost: $990 million NASA 2015 budget request: $26.2 million International partners: Netherlands, Finland, U.K.
Aqua Launched: 2002 Orbit: 705 km Collects data globally
Function & InformationCollects data on precipitation, ocean evaporation, ocean temperature, sea ice, snow, soil moisture, clouds, aerosols, and Earth’s radiation budget to improve understanding of Earth’s water cycle and climate systems.
Orbit: 705 km; collects data globallyLaunched: 2002 Design life: 6 years Initial NASA cost: $1.3 billion NASA 2015 budget request: $32.6 million International partners: Brazil, Japan
Aqua
Further ExplorationAqua Mission Page
Terra Launched: 1999 Orbit: 705 km Collects data globally
Terra
Function & InformationContributes to atmospheric, carbon cycle, ecosystem, and climate studies through measurements of atmospheric temperature, water vapor distribution, CO2, and CH4; land surface temperature, vegetation and snow cover; ocean chlorophyll production and ice cover; cloud properties including types, height, and water droplet distribution and size; Earth’s radiation budget.
Further ExplorationTerra Mission Page
Orbit: 705 km; collects data globallyLaunched: 1999 Design life: 6 years Initial NASA cost: $1.9 billion NASA 2015 budget request: $30.8 million International partners: Canada, Japan
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ICESat-2Ice, Cloud & Land Elevation Satellite-2 Planned launch: 2017 Orbit: 481 km Collects data globally
Further ExplorationICESat-2 Mission Page
Orbit: 481 km; collects data globallyPlan launch: 2017 Design life: 3 years Estimated NASA cost: $1,064 million
Function & InformationWill measure the polar ice sheets to quantify changes in ice-sheet mass and provide insight into the mechanisms that drive that change and how energy, mass, and moisture exchange among ice, ocean, and atmosphere.
( Ice, Cloud & Land Elevation Satellite-2 )
ICESat-2
SAGE III ISSStratospheric Aerosol & GasExperiment III on the ISS Planned launch: 2016 Orbit: 400 km Collects data globally
Function & InformationWill measure vertical distribution of aerosols and O3, as well as H2O, NO3, and OClO in the upper parts of the atmosphere to improve understanding of chemical processes.
SAGE III ISS
Orbit: 400 km; collects data globallyPlanned Launch: 2016 Design life: 3 years Estimated NASA cost: $126 million International partner: Europe
( Stratospheric Aerosol & Gas Experiment III on the International Space Station )
Further ExplorationSAGE III Mission Page
TEMPOTropospheric Emissions:Monitoring of Pollution Planned launch: 2017 Orbit: 35,786 km Collects data over N. America
Function & InformationWill collect hourly, high-spatial resolution measurements of tropospheric O3, NO2, SO2, CH2O, and aerosols to assess pollution effects on climate change and air quality. To be complemented by similar satellites over Europe and Asia.
Orbit: 35,786 km; collects data over North AmericaPlanned launch: 2017 Design life: 2 years Estimated NASA cost: $168 million
Further ExplorationTEMPO Mission Page
TEMPO
( Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution )
GOES-RGeostationary Operational Environmental Satellite; R Series Planned launches: 2016, 2017, 2019, 2025 Orbit: 35,800 km Collects data over W. Hemisphere
( Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite; R series of four satellites )
Function & InformationWill continue satellite series that first launched in 1975. Will provide information for weather forecasts, as well as track vegetative health, fire, volcanic ash, aerosols, O3 and SO2, and solar events.
GOES-R
Further ExplorationGOES-R Mission Page
Orbit: 35,800 km; collects data over Western HemispherePlanned launches: 2016, 2017, 2019, 2025 Design life: 10 years per satellite NOAA 2015 budget request: $981 million
SMAPSoil Moisture Active-Passive Planned launch: Fall 2014 Orbit: 685 km Collects data globally
Function & InformationWill analyze soil moisture and whether it is frozen or thawing to understand the processes that link water, energy, and carbon cycles.
Orbit: 685 km; collect data globallyPlanned launch: Fall 2014 Design life: 3 years Estimated NASA cost: $917 million
SMAP
Further ExplorationSMAP Mission Page
( Soil Moisture Active-Passive )
JPSSJoint Polar Satellite System;two satellites Planned launches: 2017, 2022 Orbit: 800 km Collects data globally
Further ExplorationJPSS Mission PageSuomi NPP Mission Page
Function & InformationWill continue satellite series that first launched in 1960 and that includes the current Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership satellite, which launched in 2011. Will provide information for weather forecasts, as well as monitor O3 distribution and temperature and moisture profiles to support long-term climate monitoring.
JPSS
Orbit: 800 km; collects data globallyPlanned launches: 2017, 2022 Design life: 7 years per satellite NOAA 2015 budget request: $916 million
( Joint Polar Satellite System; two satellites )