NASA launched two small climate satellites, named PREFIRE, on May 25, 2024 from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand.
PREFIRE will serve to take infrared measurements far above the Arctic and Antarctic to understand how clouds, humidity or melting ice into water affects heat loss from the poles.
Small satellites like PREFIRE are a low-cost way to answer very specific scientific questions while larger satellites serve as generalists.
The PREFIRE satellites aim to improve climate change prediction by measuring heat directly escaping from Earth's poles for the first time.
This new information is crucial as it helps balance excess heat received in tropical regions and regulate Earth's temperature, affecting weather systems around the planet.
NASA launched two small climate satellites, named PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment), on May 25, 2024. The satellites were launched from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, using Electron rockets. The mission aims to improve climate change prediction by measuring heat escaping from Earth's poles for the first time.
The PREFIRE satellites will serve to take infrared measurements far above the Arctic and Antarctic to measure directly the heat that the poles release into space. This new information is crucial because it helps balance excess heat received in tropical regions and regulate Earth's temperature, affecting weather systems around the planet.
Until now, climate change scientists have relied on theories rather than real observations to gauge heat loss from the poles. With PREFIRE, NASA aims to understand how clouds, humidity or melting ice into water affects this heat loss from the poles. This information will help improve predictions of sea ice loss, ice sheet melt and sea level rise.
Small satellites like PREFIRE are a low-cost way to answer very specific scientific questions while larger satellites serve as generalists. NASA's earth sciences research director, Karen St. Germain, emphasized the importance of both types of missions.
The launch marked Rocket Lab's sixth this year for Electron and the 48th overall for the small launch vehicle.
NASA launched a small satellite named PREFIRE from New Zealand on May 25, 2024 using Rocket Lab's Electron rocket.
The satellite is part of NASA's Earth sciences mission to improve climate change prediction by measuring heat escaping from Earth's poles for the first time.
The satellite will serve to take infrared measurements far above the Arctic and Antarctic to measure directly the heat that the poles release into space.
This new information will help balance excess heat received in tropical regions and regulate earth's temperature, affecting weather systems around the planet.
Small satellites like PREFIRE are a low-cost way to answer very specific scientific questions while larger satellites serve as generalists.
