NASA to Enhance Earth Monitoring with Two New Satellite Missions

NASA has announced the selection of two new satellite missions, STRIVE and EDGE, which are poised to significantly advance the agency’s understanding of Earth’s environment and bolster capabilities for predicting environmental events and mitigating disasters. These missions are part of NASA’s Earth System Explorers Program and aim to gather high-resolution data on atmospheric conditions, ecosystems, and topographical features.

The STRIVE (Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer) mission is designed to provide daily, near-global measurements with unprecedented detail. It will track temperature, various atmospheric elements, and aerosol properties from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere. A key function of STRIVE will be to measure vertical profiles of ozone and trace gases, which are crucial for monitoring the recovery of the ozone layer. The data generated by this mission is expected to improve the accuracy and range of weather forecasting, offering critical support for disaster preparedness, particularly in vulnerable coastal regions where a significant portion of the global population resides. The STRIVE mission is being led by Lyatt Jaeglé at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Complementing STRIVE, the EDGE (Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer) mission will focus on the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems and the surface topography of Earth’s ice formations, including glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice. EDGE aims to build upon and enhance the capabilities of existing NASA satellites like ICESat-2 and GEDI. The data collected by EDGE will offer insights into conditions that affect vital areas such as land and sea transportation corridors, terrain, and other regions of commercial significance. Helen Amanda Fricker at the University of California San Diego is leading the EDGE mission.

Both STRIVE and EDGE missions will now proceed to the next stage of development. A confirmation review is scheduled for 2027 to assess the progress of each mission and the availability of necessary funding. If confirmed, each mission’s total estimated cost, excluding launch expenses, will not exceed $355 million. The planned launch date for these missions is no earlier than 2030. These initiatives represent a commitment by NASA to leverage space-based observation for a deeper understanding of our home planet, with implications for scientific research, resource management, and public safety. The data collected will not only benefit Earth science but also inform future space exploration endeavors by providing insights into extreme environments.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from NASA

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