Hon+8

The Aura satellite is operational
 * Aura **

Aura is designed to tackle three science questions: - Is the ozone layer recovering as expected? - What are the sources and processes that control tropospheric pollutants? - What is the quantitative impact of constituents on climate change? (Latin for “breeze”) Aura measurements will provide insight into atmospheric chemical and dynamical processes.

OZONE LAYER FINDINGS - A decrease in chlorine should lead to recovery of the ozone layer - recovery may be altered because of increasing greenhouse gas cooling

TROPOSPHERIC FINDINGS - The Aura mission is designed to produce the first global assessment of tropospheric ozone and - assess the stratospheric contribution to the tropospheric ozone needs CLIMATE CHANGE FINDINGS - Aura’s MLS and HIRDLS instruments have been specifically designed to study the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere in new detail. - MLS can make measurements through thin cloud - HIRDLS can scan vertically across the limb over a wide horizontal range through cloud gaps. - Data from Aqua, Cloudsat,and CALIPSO will also be needed to fully address climate issues.

CloudSat AND CALIPSO TOGETHERRRRRRR

**CloudSat** WITH CALIPSO - Provide statistics on the vertical structure of clouds around the globe - Provide estimates of the percentage of Earth's clouds that produce rain - Provide of how much water and ice are in Earth's clouds - Detect snowfall from space - Estimate how efficiently the atmosphere produces rain from condensates - Provide an indirect estimate of how much clouds and aerosols contribute to atmospheric warming Launch: Apr. 28, 2006 (my birthday!) Purpose: Radar studies of clouds The mission will use an advanced radar to "slice" through clouds to see their vertical structure, providing a completely new observational capability from space

**CALIPSO** Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations WITH CloudSat - Provide statistics on the vertical structure of clouds around the globe - Provide statistics on the distribution of aerosols around the globe - Detect subvisible clouds in the upper troposphere and Polar Stratospheric Clouds - Provide an indirect estimate of how much clouds and aerosols contribute to atmospheric warming Launched April 28 2006!! (AGAIN, my birfday) study the role that clouds and aerosols play in regulating Earth's weather, climate and air quality.

- takes digital photographs of Earth’s continents and surrounding coastal regions - assesses natural and human impacts and processes - 7 total Landsat missions - Landsat 7 is the most recent mission GOALSIES - Provide data continuation from Landsats 4 and 5. - Offer 16-day repetitive Earth coverage. - Build a global archive of Sun-lit, cloud free, land images. - Support Government, international and commercial communities. - vital role in NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) by giving research with other EOS observations. - can help view urbanization in area around the world - see clearly moajor effects of deforestation and desertation - Moniters Agriculture & Forestry Resources, Land Use, Geology, Hydrology, Coastal Resources, Environmental conditions
 * Landsat **

Category 8 – Earth Monitoring RIGHT-CLICK on these links to "Open in a new window"
 * TOPEX/Poseidon || JPL Past ||
 * Jason || JPL & NASA Current ||
 * Terra || NASA Current ||
 * Aqua || NASA Current ||
 * Aura || NASA Current ||
 * CloudSat || JPL & NASA Current ||
 * CALIPSO || NASA Current ||
 * Landsat || NASA Current ||

JPL PAST Missions http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/past_missions.cfm JPL CURRENT Missions http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/index.cfm NASA CURRENT Missions http://www.nasa.gov/missions/current/index.html