A new Earth observation satellite will be launched into space on Thursday, which will help scientists predict the weather and focus on increasingly widespread extreme weather events. This satellite , known as the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2), is part of the Global Observation System and is the product of a collaboration between NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
"NOAA's meteorological satellite has never been so critical, as extreme weather events continue to be more frequent due to climate change," said Erin Parker, deputy assistant administrator for the systems of NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Services Division, in a pre-launch briefing. "From 2017 to September 2022, the United States has experienced 104 separate $1 billion disasters. By comparison, from 1987 to 1991, there were only 15."
JPSS-2 will be launched on the United Launch League's Atlas V 401 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California at 4:25 a.m. ET on November 10. A inflatable heat shield called LOFTID will also be tested on the plane, which can help heavier payloads land on Earth and even other planets such as Mars .
NASA and the National Oceanic Administration (NOAA) have a complete satellite network pointing to the Earth to observe its environment, including the predecessors of JPSS-2 - Suomi NPP and NOAA-20. JPSS-2 will enter polar orbit with these two satellites, meaning they orbit the Earth from both poles and cover the entire Earth twice a day.
"To predict local weather, we need to observe the weather from this global perspective," said Tim Walsh, director of the JPSS project office at NOAA. "Sandstorms in Africa can affect the development of potential hurricane that may affect the east coast. Japanese twelve may cause heavy rain here in CA days later."
JPSS-2 satellite will use its four instruments to measure the Earth, including visible light infrared imaging radiation kit (VIIRS) as satellite "eyes". It captures visible light and infrared images at about a quarter of a mile of spatial resolution, allowing researchers to see features such as clouds called overtops, which can reflect how severe the thunderstorm is. Advanced technology microwave detectors, or ATMS, can observe the intensity of the storm through clouds, while cross-orbit infrared detectors, or CrIS, can generate three-dimensional views of the atmosphere, ozone drawing and profiler kits, or OMPS, to study ozone in the atmosphere. Combined with
, the data from these instruments will aid in weather forecasting, especially by monitoring Atlantic and Pacific . On land, there are many weather stations collecting data. However, measurements from the ocean need to be performed by meteorological buoys, which are relatively few, so these data need to be supplemented by satellite data. Data from the JPSS program was previously used to predict Hurricane Ian’s landings off the Florida coast and is currently being used to monitor tropical storm Nicole. "JPSS data is the primary input to the US and international global numerical weather forecasting system. Observations are global, and predictions are local. With JPSS, local three to seven-day forecast quality is excellent. "
" Although the satellite is designed for weather forecasting, this is not the only reason for launching the satellite. "
NOAA has another set of Earth Monitoring satellites for weather forecasting, called the Geostationary Service Environmental Satellite, or GOES. But the orbit of the GOES satellite is very different from that of JPSS, which is located at a geostationary orbit of 22,300 miles above the Earth's surface. This means that each GOES satellite always points to the same place on Earth, in contrast, the JPSS satellite orbits the entire Earth, just 500 miles from the surface, and is closer.
"Because JPSS is much closer to the Earth's surface, we can get different types of observations," Gerth explained. "For example, if we want to determine the temperature structure of the atmosphere or the amount of water vapor, we can use the instruments on the JPSS family to help us do it. JPSS also provides us with detailed information about the under-cloud cap, which can easily be translated into information about the intensity of the storm and helps with storm prediction.""
In addition to the responsibility of weather forecasting, data from JPSS-2 will also help study other climatic conditions." Satya Kalluri, project scientist at NOAA JPSS project, said: "While the satellite is designed for weather forecasting, this is not the only reason for launching the satellite. The satellite takes images of the Earth twice a day, through which we can view drought conditions, which is very important for predicting food productivity." Other uses of the
satellite data include measuring ocean color, which can help monitor the health of marine ecosystems and identify harmful algae reproduction. It can also measure air quality by identifying smoke or wildfire smoke, as well as observe changes in polar ice sheets and the hollows of ozone layer .
In addition to the role of JPSS-2 in predicting weather events in the short term, the continuous measurement of these factors for decades is key to keeping records, allowing us to understand the long-term effects of climate change.
"We are very happy to see this JPSS-2 launch because it collects observations from around the world," Gerth said. "In order to have good local weather forecasts, we need to have these global observations to inform our meteorologists."
