Two satellites are set to measure Earth’s heat exchange with space.
NASA selected Rocket Lab USA as the company that will provide the launch services for their Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) mission, a 10-month-long project that will send two satellites into space to measure the energy entering and leaving Earth.
“The PREFIRE mission will help close a gap in our understanding of how much of Earth’s heat is lost to space, especially from the Arctic and Antarctica,” NASA stated.
The poles of Earth are constantly exchanging energy between space and Earth’s surface to help regulate the planet’s climate. Though scientists have understood that for years, most of the different wavelengths of energy exchanged at the poles have never been formally measured before.
“Analysis of PREFIRE measurements will inform climate and ice models, providing better projections of how a warming world will affect sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise,” NASA said. “Improving climate models can ultimately help to provide more accurate projections on the impacts of storm severity and frequency, as well as coastal erosion and flooding.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Administrator Bill Nelson as he leads the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
- For NASA scientists and researchers as they conduct the study of the climate between the poles.
- For U.S. officials to find the facts and report the realities regarding shifts and changes in climate.
Sources: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, University of Wisconsin
