26. THE NASA EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE PROGRAM IN 21ST
CENTURY
263
NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT), which detected ocean surface wind
vectors from Japan’s ADEOS satellite
(http://winds.www.jpl.nasa.gov/),
SeaWiFS, a mission which is providing ocean color information useful
to understand biological productivity in the oceans
( http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/)
and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), also conducted
jointly with Japan, which for the first time is providing an accurate
assessment of the structure of storm systems, rainfall and associated
energy release over the oceans at low latitudes
( http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/).
Phase II of the ESE program began with the launch of Landsat-7 and the
Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites in late 1999. EOS is the first
observing system to offer integrated measurements of the Earth’s processes
and will generate a long-term environmental database focusing on climate
change. EOS will usher in an unprecedented observational capability for
understanding the planet. EOS, the largest element of NASA’s ESE
observational program, is a program of multiple spacecraft designed to
provide measurements of the key, multi-disciplinary parameters needed to
understand global climate change. The first spacecraft—“Terra” (formerly
called EOS AM) and Landsat-7—have been launched in 1999. The
instruments aboard Terra will enable scientific studies of the physical and
radiative properties of clouds; air-land and air-sea exchanges of energy,
carbon and water cycles; measurements of trace atmospheric gases; and
other land processes. Landsat-7 will make important land-use and land
processes measurements, complementing and improving upon those made by
previous Landsat spacecraft in building the largest database of medium
resolution land surface images of Earth’s continents. The EOS PM mission
will be launched in year 2000, and Chemistry-1 in 2002. Both will help
achieve an understanding of short-term weather, long-term climate records
and atmospheric chemistry. The EOS program also includes several small
spacecraft such as a joint venture with France known as Jason-1 (a follow-on
to the highly successful TOPEX/Poseidon mission), QuikScat providing
ocean surface wind vector, ICESat focused on study of the polar caps and
their contributions to climate and sea level variations, and Solstice and
ACRIM to continue the past records of total and spectral solar irradiance and
variability.
Phase III of the ESE program includes missions that are complementary
in nature to EOS and address unique, specific, and highly focused mission
requirements in Earth science research, called Earth Probes. The program
was designed to have the flexibility to take advantage of unique
3.
4.
5.
CENTURY
263
NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT), which detected ocean surface wind
vectors from Japan’s ADEOS satellite
(http://winds.www.jpl.nasa.gov/),
SeaWiFS, a mission which is providing ocean color information useful
to understand biological productivity in the oceans
( http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/)
and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), also conducted
jointly with Japan, which for the first time is providing an accurate
assessment of the structure of storm systems, rainfall and associated
energy release over the oceans at low latitudes
( http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/).
Phase II of the ESE program began with the launch of Landsat-7 and the
Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites in late 1999. EOS is the first
observing system to offer integrated measurements of the Earth’s processes
and will generate a long-term environmental database focusing on climate
change. EOS will usher in an unprecedented observational capability for
understanding the planet. EOS, the largest element of NASA’s ESE
observational program, is a program of multiple spacecraft designed to
provide measurements of the key, multi-disciplinary parameters needed to
understand global climate change. The first spacecraft—“Terra” (formerly
called EOS AM) and Landsat-7—have been launched in 1999. The
instruments aboard Terra will enable scientific studies of the physical and
radiative properties of clouds; air-land and air-sea exchanges of energy,
carbon and water cycles; measurements of trace atmospheric gases; and
other land processes. Landsat-7 will make important land-use and land
processes measurements, complementing and improving upon those made by
previous Landsat spacecraft in building the largest database of medium
resolution land surface images of Earth’s continents. The EOS PM mission
will be launched in year 2000, and Chemistry-1 in 2002. Both will help
achieve an understanding of short-term weather, long-term climate records
and atmospheric chemistry. The EOS program also includes several small
spacecraft such as a joint venture with France known as Jason-1 (a follow-on
to the highly successful TOPEX/Poseidon mission), QuikScat providing
ocean surface wind vector, ICESat focused on study of the polar caps and
their contributions to climate and sea level variations, and Solstice and
ACRIM to continue the past records of total and spectral solar irradiance and
variability.
Phase III of the ESE program includes missions that are complementary
in nature to EOS and address unique, specific, and highly focused mission
requirements in Earth science research, called Earth Probes. The program
was designed to have the flexibility to take advantage of unique
3.
4.
5.