National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently launched a pair of miniature satellites, called CubeSats (6U) to measure the heat lost from the Earth’s poles.The PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission aims to fill a critical gap in understanding the planet’s energy budget by studying the heat emissions from the Earth’s poles.The mission involves two CubeSats equipped with thermal infrared spectrometers to measure the amount of infrared and far-infrared radiation emitted from the Arctic and Antarctica.
This data will help scientists better understand the balance between incoming and outgoing heat, which is crucial for predicting changes in the Earth’s ice, seas, and weather patterns.A cube satellite (cubesat) is a standardized, low cost, small satellite design typically used for technological demonstration and research. It is a Nanosatellite – weighs less than 10 kgs.These are relatively inexpensive and can be launched in larger numbers, making them a valuable tool for scientific research and technology demonstrations.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States that is responsible for the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and space research.
- Established under the National Aeronautics and Space Act, 1958.
- Headquarters: Washington, DC, USA.
History
- After World War II, the US was in direct competition with the former Soviet Union (the superpower that split into several sovereign countries in 1991, including the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, etc.). This period was called the Cold War.
- On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union’s Sputnik launch placed a body in Earth orbit for the first time.
- This was followed by an even larger Sputnik II in November, which carried a female dog named Laika.
- In late January 1958 the US launched Explorer 1, a mission accomplished by an Army rocket team using rocket technology developed during World War II.
- Though a small spacecraft weighing only 30 pounds, it discovered the Van Allen radiation belts, named after Dr. James Van Allen, a scientist at the University of Iowa who started a new discipline in space science.
- Explorer 1 was followed in March 1958 by the Navy’s Vanguard, which was 1.6 inches in diameter and weighed only 3 pounds.
- The birth of NASA was directly linked to the launch of Sputnik and the future race to demonstrate technological supremacy in space.
- Cold War rivalries led US President Dwight D. Eisenhower to sign the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, providing for research into problems of the Earth’s atmosphere and space flight.
- After a long debate over military versus civilian control of space, the act gave birth to a new civilian agency called the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Objectives of NASA
- To advance human knowledge of space
- To lead the world in innovation of space technology
- To develop vehicles that can carry both instruments and living organisms into space
- To coordinate with international space agencies to achieve the greatest possible scientific advancement