NASA launches an innovative satellite focused on studying climate change at the poles

Los Angeles (USA), May 25 (EFE). – NASA on Saturday sent the first pair of climate satellites designed to study heat emissions at the Earth’s poles for the first time, which will help in research on climate change.

The American agency said in a statement that the CubeSats 1 satellite, which is the size of a shoebox, was launched into orbit by an Electron rocket, launched from New Zealand as part of the PREFIRE mission.

The mission will measure the amount of heat Earth radiates into space from two of the coldest, most remote regions on the planet.

The data collected is expected to help researchers better predict how Earth’s ice, seas and climate will be affected by climate change.

Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Sciences Division in Washington, said in a statement that the data will help provide a “better understanding” of how our planet’s system will change in the coming years.

“(This) information is critical for farmers tracking changes in climate and water, fishing fleets operating in changing seas, and coastal communities strengthening their resilience,” he added.

PREFIRE focuses on assessing the balance between incoming thermal energy from the Sun and outgoing heat emanating from the planet. There is currently no detailed measurement of this type of energy.

“Cubesatellites may be small, but they will fill a big gap in our knowledge of Earth’s energy budget,” said Lori Lishin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

“Their observations will help us understand the basics of Earth’s heat balance, allowing us to better predict how our ice, seas and climate will change in the face of global warming.”

The second satellite is scheduled to be launched in the coming days on a 10-month mission. Evie

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