5 NASA Earth science missions to blast off in 2014

Wow, it seems that someone put a flame under NASA's A@!#; China perhaps? Whatever th reason, it seems that Space efforts are ramping up. Why do you think this is, ATS

"The GPM rain-mapping mission, a joint effort between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will provide near real-time observations of rainfall and snowfall every three hours all over the world, improving scientists' understanding of climate change and the global water cycle, NASA officials said."

"The next NASA Earth-science mission to get off the ground this year is ISS-RapidScat, an instrument scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on June 6 aboard private spaceflight company SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo capsule. ISS-RapidScat will gather data about ocean winds around the ground, aiding climate research and improving the tracking of storms and hurricanes, officials said."

"Dragon will carry another NASA instrument to the orbiting lab in September. This one, called the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, will measure small particles in the atmosphere, which can affect human health and influence global climate, agency officials said."

"The other two NASA Earth-observation missions will place free-flying spacecraft in orbit around our planet. In July, the agency plans to launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2, a replacement for a satellite doomed by a launch-vehicle failure in 2009. OCO-2 will make detailed measurements of carbon dioxide, improving researchers' understanding of this greenhouse gas and how it cycles through land, air and sea."

"NASA also aims to launch its Soil Moisture Active Passive mission in November. SMAP is designed to map the planet's soil moisture, helping scientists better predict agricultural productivity, weather and climate, agency officials said."

What say you, ATS?


www.space.com...

"Dragon will carry another NASA instrument to the orbiting lab in September. This one, called the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, will measure small particles in the atmosphere, which can affect human health and influence global climate, agency officials said."

Monitoring chemtrails? Is this a silent admission that 'reflective particulates' have an impact on the climate like reducing solar radiation and surface temperatures?

Gibraltarego
"Dragon will carry another NASA instrument to the orbiting lab in September. This one, called the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, will measure small particles in the atmosphere, which can affect human health and influence global climate, agency officials said."

Monitoring chemtrails? Is this a silent admission that 'reflective particulates' have an impact on the climate like reducing solar radiation and surface temperatures?

Yes, Chemtrails came to my mind also when I read that.

reply to post by lostbook

Whatever th reason, it seems that Space efforts are ramping up. Why do you think this is, ATS

I think interest in climate has increased significantly in recent decades.

I also think that all of these missions have been under development for quite a while.

GPM, from 2010
www.researchgate.net... d_global_rainfall_map

RapidScat is fairly new but is a replacement for much older program, Quikscat. directory.eoportal.org...

CATS, from 2012
www.michaero.com...

As your quote points out, OCO is replacing an earlier experiment (2009).

Development of SMAP, from 2010.
ieeexplore.ieee.org... 60980

Chemtrails came to my mind also when I read that.

Why? You don't think dust is aerosols? You don't think volcanic activity produces aerosols? You don't think industrial pollution produces aerosols?
bobcat.aero.und.edu...

Phage
reply to post by lostbook

 

Whatever th reason, it seems that Space efforts are ramping up. Why do you think this is, ATS

I think interest in climate has increased significantly in recent decades.

I also think that all of these missions have been under development for quite a while.

GPM, from 2010
www.researchgate.net... d_global_rainfall_map

RapidScat is fairly new but is a replacement for much older program, Quikscat. directory.eoportal.org...

CATS, from 2012
www.michaero.com...

As your quote points out, OCO is replacing an earlier experiment (2009).

Development of SMAP, from 2010.
ieeexplore.ieee.org... 60980

Chemtrails came to my mind also when I read that.

Why? You don't think dust is aerosols? You don't think volcanic activity produces aerosols? You don't think industrial pollution produces aerosols?
bobcat.aero.und.edu...

edit on 1/27/2014 by Phage because: (no reason given)

edit on 1/27/2014 by Phage because: (no reason given)

Thanks for setting some things straight, Phage. When I read this article, I immediately thought of Chemtrails.

"Dragon will carry another NASA instrument to the orbiting lab in September. This one, called the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, will measure small particles in the atmosphere, which can affect human health and influence global climate, agency officials said."

Hasn't NASA done this study before along with the others? And, if so, why do it again now? That's what led me to the conclusion of Chemtrails as the reason why. I love the Sciences and especially Space exploration. I believe we need more study in that area, not less.

Forgive me if I am ignorant on the subject but whatever happened to NASA saying they were done with missions and closing shop a couple years or so ago? And leaving it to the private sector.
Firepiston

FirePiston
Forgive me if I am ignorant on the subject but whatever happened to NASA saying they were done with missions and closing shop a couple years or so ago? And leaving it to the private sector.
Firepiston

edit on 27-1-2014 by FirePiston because: (no reason given)

Haven't you heard? NASA is getting a huge boost. It was discussed right here on ATS.

President Obama signs new National Space Transportation policy
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Budget Deal puts NASA's Space Exploration Plans back on Track
www.abovetopsecret.com...

These new missions were probably on the back burner due to funding issues.

reply to post by lostbook

Hasn't NASA done this study before along with the others?

Yes. And they have also studied the Sun before and continue to do so. That hardly means they've learned everything (or even most) of what there is to know about it or climate.


Like I said, "aerosols" does not mean "chemtrails".

reply to post by FirePiston

Forgive me if I am ignorant on the subject but whatever happened to NASA saying they were done with missions and closing shop a couple years or so ago?

Maybe more confused than ignorant (or both). Since retiring the shuttles, NASA is leaving ISS supply missions to the private sector (and Russia in the meantime).

NASA is far from closing shop.
www.jpl.nasa.gov...

reply to post by Phage


So, Phage.
You don't think there is any chance of chemtrails at play? 0% chance?

reply to post by lostbook

I suppose that would depend on what you mean by "chemtrails."

If you're talking about persistent contrails, I have no reason to believe that they are anything but contrails.

If you're talking about exhaust from planes, cars, trucks, and such like. Absolutely. They exist.

If you are talking about clandestine geoengineering (or something) efforts there is no evidence that they are occuring and no reason to think that, if they were, they would resemble what people call "chemtrails."

Is there a chance? Of course.
Is there any evidence. No.
Are persistent contrails actually "chemtrails?" No.

Phage
reply to post by FirePiston

 

Forgive me if I am ignorant on the subject but whatever happened to NASA saying they were done with missions and closing shop a couple years or so ago?

Maybe more confused than ignorant (or both). Since retiring the shuttles, NASA is leaving ISS supply missions to the private sector (and Russia in the meantime).

NASA is far from closing shop.
www.jpl.nasa.gov...

edit on 1/27/2014 by Phage because: (no reason given)

Yes, the focus will be Deep Space missions but they're bringing Constellation
back to do it. Good idea?

Back on subject, the aerosol issue must be serious or at least portant. Why?

reply to post by lostbook

Back on subject, the aerosol issue must be serious or at least portant. Why?

Because the effects of aerosols need to be better understood in the context of climate. Because the way pollution spreads through the atmosphere needs to be better understood. I linked a briefing on it earlier.

Phage
reply to post by lostbook

 

Back on subject, the aerosol issue must be serious or at least portant. Why?

Because the effects of aerosols need to be better understood in the context of climate. Because the way pollution spreads through the atmosphere needs to be better understood. I linked a briefing on it earlier.

edit on 1/27/2014 by Phage because: (no reason given)

Do aerosols have anything to do with the way light is refracted in the atmosphere? If so, what problems could that lead to in your opinion?

BTW, thank you for your contribution to this thread, Phage.

reply to post by lostbook

Do aerosols have anything to do with the way light is refracted in the atmosphere?

Refracted is not the right word. Use "scattered". And yes they have everything to do with it. Not sure what you mean by "problems" but they do have a very strong effect on temperatures. The aerosols dispersed into the stratosphere by the Pinatubo eruption in 1991 and the resultant scattering effect reduced global temperatures by up to 0.5º (as well as creating some very amazing sunsets).

The effects of aerosols on cloud formation (and thereby, temperatures) is also a very important factor. One which is not well understood.

reply to post by Phage


Yes, I followed the link you provided concerning aerosols.

bobcat.aero.und.edu...

Very informative and studies into the issue seem extensive.