Managed Mission Begins Collecting Crucial Climate Data – Pasadena Now

Pasadena's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managing a groundbreaking National Aeronautics and Space Administration mission that has started gathering data on heat emitted from Earth's polar regions. The Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-Infrared Experiment (PREFIRE) aims to improve climate change predictions.

Two shoebox-sized CubeSats, launched on May 25 and June 5, are now collecting measurements of far-infrared radiation from the Arctic and Antarctic. The first CubeSat began collecting data on July 1, while the second started on July 25.

However, data from the second CubeSat will be released after resolving an issue with its GPS system. This data is critical for understanding how climate change will affect Earth's ice, seas, and weather patterns.

"We are constantly looking for new ways to observe the planet and fill in critical gaps in our knowledge. With CubeSats like PREFIRE, we are doing both," said Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division at National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters in Washington. She emphasized the innovative nature of the PREFIRE mission, part of the competitively-selected Earth Venture program.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, provided the spectrometers for the mission. The CubeSats are operated by Blue Canyon Technologies, while the University of Wisconsin-Madison is processing and analyzing the collected data.

The mission, jointly developed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will help researchers better understand when and where polar regions emit far-infrared radiation to space. This includes studying how atmospheric water vapor and clouds influence heat escape from Earth's surface.

Earth absorbs much of the Sun's energy in the tropics, with weather and ocean currents transporting that heat toward the poles. PREFIRE will provide the first systematic measurements of far-infrared emissions from these regions.

Tristan L'Ecuyer, PREFIRE's principal investigator from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, expressed excitement about the incoming data. "We're seeing for the first time the full energy spectrum that Earth radiates into space, which is critical to understanding climate change," he said.

The CubeSats orbit in near-polar paths, passing over the same Arctic and Antarctic locations within hours. This allows scientists to study short-term phenomena like ice sheet melting and cloud formation.

PREFIRE's measurements are expected to provide crucial insights into the greenhouse effect. This process, involving gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor, traps heat near Earth's surface and increases global temperatures.

By filling gaps in climate knowledge, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory-managed mission aims to help humanity better prepare for a changing world. The data collected will be instrumental in refining climate models and predictions.