NASAs Earth Radiation Budget Satellite is anticipated to burn up in the atmosphere. Here we see the ATV Jules Verne spacecraft on harmful reentry in 2008 drawn from the DC-8 aircraft which observed the reentry over the Pacific Ocean. Credit: ESA
In early January NASAs retired Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) is expected to reenter Earths environment after practically 4 decades in area. For 21 of those years, the ERBS actively investigated how the Earth taken in and radiated energy from the Sun, and made measurements of stratospheric ozone, water vapor, nitrogen dioxide, and aerosols..
As of Thursday, January 5, the Department of Defense predicted that the 5,400-pound satellite will reenter the atmosphere at around 6:40 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 8 with an uncertainty of +/- 17 hours. NASA and the Defense Department will continue to keep an eye on the reentry and update the predictions..
NASA expects the majority of the satellite to burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, however some elements are expected to survive the reentry. The risk of harm coming to anybody on Earth is really low– approximately 1 in 9,400..
NASAs Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) was developed to examine how energy from the Sun is taken in and re-emitted by the Earth. The spacecraft was only anticipated to operate for 2 years, it really supplied scientists with data on the Earths ozone layer for over 20 years.
Released from the Space Shuttle Challenger on October 5, 1984, the ERBS spacecraft became part of NASAs three-satellite Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) mission. It carried three instruments, 2 to measure the Earths radiative energy spending plan, and one to determine stratospheric constituents, including ozone..
The energy spending plan, the balance between the quantity of energy from the Sun that Earth soaks up or radiates, is an essential sign of climate health, and comprehending it can also help reveal weather patterns. Ozone concentrations in the stratosphere play a crucial role in safeguarding life on Earth from damaging ultraviolet radiation..
ERBS far exceeded its anticipated two-year service life, running till its retirement in 2005. Its observations assisted researchers measure the impacts of human activities in the worlds radiation balance. NASA has continued to construct on the success of the ERBE objective with tasks consisting of the existing Clouds and the Earths Radiant Energy System (CERES) suite of satellite instruments..
The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) on the ERBS made dizzying measurements. SAGE II gathered essential information that verified the ozone layer was declining on a global scale. That information helped form the global Montreal Protocol Agreement, leading to a significant reduction around the globe in using ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons. Today, SAGE III on the International Space Station collects information on the health of the ozone layer..
NASAs Earth Radiation Budget Satellite is expected to burn up in the environment. NASAs Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) was developed to take a look at how energy from the Sun is taken in and re-emitted by the Earth. The spacecraft was just expected to operate for two years, it really offered scientists with data on the Earths ozone layer for over 20 years. Its observations helped scientists measure the impacts of human activities on Earths radiation balance.
