Context:
A NASA PREFIRE polar mission is set to be launched from New Zealand on May 22.
Relevance:
GS III: Science and Technology
The PREFIRE Polar Mission Explained:
Overview:
- The PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) polar mission comprises twin satellites, each equipped with an instrument, tasked with measuring the poles approximately six hours apart.
Objective:
- The primary goal of the mission is to unveil the complete spectrum of heat loss from Earth’s polar regions, thereby enhancing the accuracy of climate models.
Aim:
- The PREFIRE mission aims to fill knowledge gaps and furnish data to refine predictions related to climate change and sea level rise.
- It seeks to offer fresh insights into how Earth’s atmosphere and ice impact the radiation of heat from the Arctic and Antarctic into space.
Satellite Operation:
- Cube satellites, akin to the size of a shoebox, will be launched aboard an Electron launch vehicle.
- Equipped with Mars-tested technology, these satellites will measure an underexplored portion of Earth’s radiant energy.
- Twin satellites housing a thermal infrared spectrometer will orbit near-polar asynchronously, covering overlapping areas near the poles every few hours.
- Weighing less than 6 pounds (3 kilograms) each, the instruments will employ thermocouples, similar to those found in household thermostats, for data collection.
Mission Objectives:
- Understand the disproportionate warming of the Arctic compared to the rest of the planet since the 1970s.
- Gain insights into the efficiency of far-infrared heat emission by substances like snow and sea ice, and the influence of clouds on far-infrared radiation escaping to space.
- Enable researchers to forecast changes in heat exchange between Earth and space, and their repercussions on phenomena such as ice sheet melting, atmospheric temperatures, and global weather patterns.
-Source: Indian Express
