. 24/7 Space News .
EARTH OBSERVATION
'First Light' images from CERES FM6 Earth-observing instrument
by Joe Atkinson for LRC News
Hampton VA (SPX) Jan 18, 2018


In this shortwave image from CERES FM6, the white and green shades represent thick cloud cover reflecting incoming solar energy back to space. Compare that with the darker blue regions, which have no cloud cover, to get a sense for just how much clouds can affect the balance of incoming and outgoing energy on Earth.

It's working! The covers on the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System Flight Model 6 (CERES FM6) opened Jan. 5, allowing it to scan Earth for the first time.

The instrument was one of five that launched Nov. 18, 2017, on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration's (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System 1 (JPSS-1). After reaching polar orbit Nov. 18, the satellite became known as NOAA-20.

Cover-opening activities began around 8:30 p.m. ET Jan. 4 and were completed at approximately 1:45 a.m. Jan. 5. CERES FM6 began scanning Earth at approximately 1:25 p.m. Jan. 5. On Jan. 10, scientists used those scans to produce the "first light" images.

Built by Northrop Grumman, funded by NOAA and managed by NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, in coordination with the JPSS program, CERES FM6 is the last in a series of instruments going back to the late 1990s that measure the solar energy reflected by Earth, the heat the planet emits, and the role of clouds in that process.

"CERES FM6 is the seventh and final copy since we first launched the first CERES instrument in 1997. It is the most accurate broadband radiometer that NASA/NOAA have flown as a result of a more rigorous prelaunch calibration campaign than previous instruments," said CERES Project Scientist Kory Priestley.

"We were able to take knowledge from on-orbit operations and apply it to this flight model. We've done a better job of building and characterizing the instrument, and with hope that will bear fruit as the mission is flown.

"The robustness of the CERES instruments already on-orbit, having exceeded their design lifetimes by a factor of two to three, is testament to the work of the dedicated team of engineers at Northrop Grumman," Priestley said.

"The scientific discoveries the community will make by utilizing these datasets will benefit humanity for decades to come."

Five other CERES instruments are flying on three other satellites. Their data helps scientists validate models that calculate the effect of clouds on planetary heating and cooling. The same data can also be helpful for improving near-term, seasonal forecasts influenced by weather events such as El Nino and La Nina. El Nino and La Nina are climatic fluctuations in the temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean that can influence weather globally.

"The successful launch of CERES FM6 and acquisition of initial data is fantastic news," said David Considine, program manager for NASA's Modeling, Analysis and Prediction program.

"Its data will help us to understand the critical role that clouds play in the Earth system, and shows the value to the Nation of the NASA and NOAA collaboration leading to this achievement."

The CERES data record extends back to 1997. Prior to CERES, the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) collected similar data beginning in 1984. The two NASA programs demonstrate NASA's long-term involvement in measuring Earth's energy balance going back more than 30 years.

"Northrop Grumman is proud to be a collaborative partner with NASA and NOAA on this successful CERES mission. Between the seven CERES instruments and their ERBE predecessors, we have had a relationship in Earth radiation budget measurements that now spans over three decades," said Northrop Grumman CERES Program Manager Sean Kelly.

"The CERES instruments continue to reliably provide the climate data record necessary for monitoring, processing and analyzing critical data for the Earth science community. CERES is one of the most highly calibrated, highly reliable instruments on-orbit today."

EARTH OBSERVATION
Earth-i launches prototype of world's first full-colour, full-motion video satellite constellation
London, UK (SPX) Jan 17, 2018
British 'New Space' pioneer Earth-i has confirmed that the pre-production prototype satellite of its upcoming satellite constellation was successfully launched late last week. The new commercial constellation - which the company announced is called Vivid-i - will be the first of its kind to provide full-colour video; and the first European-owned constellation able to provide both video and ... read more

Related Links
Climate Science at NASA
Earth Observation News - Suppiliers, Technology and Application


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

EARTH OBSERVATION
Europe brings on charm and blue skies to lure Chinese tourists

Life-saving NASA Communications System Turns 20

NanoRacks Begins Third International Space Station External Platform Mission In Extreme Space Environment

Top takeaways from Consumers Electronics Show

EARTH OBSERVATION
Aerojet Rocketdyne Supports ULA Launch in Support of National Security

Update from Mojave: VSS Unity successfully completes high speed glide flight

India launches country's 100th satellite and 30 microsats

Blue Origin tests rocket engine as US seeks to replace Russian RD-180

EARTH OBSERVATION
Deep, buried glaciers spotted on Mars

Opportunity takes right at the fork and has successful battery test

Steep Slopes on Mars Reveal Structure of Buried Ice

Scientist's work may provide answer to Martian mountain mystery

EARTH OBSERVATION
Scientist reveals what is so special about Chines's next moon mission

China's Kuaizhou-11 rocket scheduled to launch in first half of 2018

Nation 'leads world' in remote sensing technology

China plans for nuclear-powered interplanetary capacity by 2040

EARTH OBSERVATION
Aerospace Workforce Training - National Mandate for 2018

Intelsat signs contract with Arianespace for two launches

Nationwide search begins for young space entrepreneurs

Russia restores contact with Angolan satellite

EARTH OBSERVATION
Scientists develop a new material for manipulating molecules

Self-healing fungi concrete could provide sustainable solution to crumbling infrastructure

Russian scientists found excitons in nickel oxide for the first time

Novel 3-D printing technique yields high-performance composites

EARTH OBSERVATION
Ingredients for life revealed in meteorites that fell to Earth

Citizen scientists discover five-planet system

Iron-Rich Stars Host Shorter-Period Planets

SETI project homes in on strange 'fast radio bursts'

EARTH OBSERVATION
New Year 2019 offers new horizons at MU69 flyby

Study explains why Jupiter's jet stream reverses course on a predictable schedule

New Horizons Corrects Its Course in the Kuiper Belt

Does New Horizons' Next Target Have a Moon?









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.