Five coming up. OCO-2 and CATS are somewhat AGW-science specific, while the other 3 have broad applications.
NASA Set for a Big Year in Earth Science - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Feb 27. Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory. Detailed global precipitation measurment. Launch by JAXA (the Japanese Space Agency).
Jun 6. ISS-RapidScat. Detailed global wind measurements. To be installed on ISS. Launch from Cape Canaveral on SpaceX Falcon 9, ISS resupply mission.
Jul 1. Orbiting Carbon Observatory - 2 (OCO-2). The first OCO satellite was lost in a launch failure in 2009. Examines carbon sources and sinks. Launch from Vandenberg on Delta II.
Sep 12. Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS). Like the name says, looking at clouds and aerosols. Similar system, Glory satellite, lost in a launch failure in 2011. CATS to be installed on ISS. Launch from Cape Canaveral on Falcon 9, ISS resupply mission.
November. Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. Like the name says, soil moisture mapping. Launch from Vandenberg on Delta II.
NASA Set for a Big Year in Earth Science - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Feb 27. Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory. Detailed global precipitation measurment. Launch by JAXA (the Japanese Space Agency).
Jun 6. ISS-RapidScat. Detailed global wind measurements. To be installed on ISS. Launch from Cape Canaveral on SpaceX Falcon 9, ISS resupply mission.
Jul 1. Orbiting Carbon Observatory - 2 (OCO-2). The first OCO satellite was lost in a launch failure in 2009. Examines carbon sources and sinks. Launch from Vandenberg on Delta II.
Sep 12. Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS). Like the name says, looking at clouds and aerosols. Similar system, Glory satellite, lost in a launch failure in 2011. CATS to be installed on ISS. Launch from Cape Canaveral on Falcon 9, ISS resupply mission.
November. Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. Like the name says, soil moisture mapping. Launch from Vandenberg on Delta II.
