NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Terra: Flagship of the

Earth Observing System

Press Kit
November 1999
Contacts

Dave Steitz Policy/Program Office (202) 358-1730

NASA Headquarters

Allen Kenitzer TERRA Mission PAO (301) 286-2806

Goddard Space Flight Center

George Diller Launch Operations (407) 867-2468

Kennedy Space Center

Keith Henry CERES PAO (757) 864-6120

Langley Research Center

Diane Ainsworth ASTER/MISR PAO (818) 354-0850

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Marion Neiman MOPITT PAO (613) 990-8662

Canadian Space Agency

Contents

General Release…………………………………………………………………... 3
Media Services Information……………………………………………………..... 6
Terra Quick Facts…………………………………………………………………... 7
Terra: The Earth Observing System…………………………………………...... 8
Science Objectives……………………….……………………………….……....12
Examples of Planned Terra Research ...........................................................14
Atlas IIAS and Centaur Overview...................................................................20
EOS Terra Launch Configuration................................................................... 21
Terra Launch Profile……………………………………………………............. 22
Program/Project Management………………………………………………….. 25
Terra Science Team Members……………………………………………......... 26

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Release No. 99-120

TERRA SPACECRAFT TO LEAD THE WAY

NASA will launch and deploy the “flagship” to the Earth Observing System series of
satellites, part of a precedent setting program designed to provide daily information on the
health of the Planet. The Terra spacecraft, formerly known as “EOS AM-1,” is scheduled for
launch Dec. 16, 1999.

Terra begins a new generation of Earth science - one that studies the Earth’s land,
oceans, air, ice and life as a total global system. Terra will carry a complement of five
synergistic state-of-the-art instruments. Researchers now recognize that the Earth - land,
oceans, life, and atmosphere - operates as a system - one part impacting the other. EOS
will help us to understand how the complex coupled Earth system of air, land, water and
life is linked. A series of 10 spacecraft, known as the first EOS series, are scheduled for
launch into the next decade.

“After years of anxious anticipation we’re extremely excited about this mission,” said
Dr. Ghassem Asrar, NASA associate administrator for the Office of Earth Science, NASA
Headquarters, Washington, DC. “The Terra mission has nearly unlimited potential to im-
prove scientific understanding of global climate change.”

The EOS series spacecraft are the cornerstone of NASA’s Earth Science Enter-
prise, a long-term coordinated research effort to study the Earth as a global system and
the effects of natural and human-induced changes on the global environment. Terra will
use this unique perspective from space to observe the Earth’s continents, oceans, and
atmosphere with measurement accuracy and capability never before flown. This approach
enables scientists to study the interactions among these three components of the Earth
system, which determine the cycling of water and nutrients on Earth.

“Terra will simultaneously study clouds, water vapor, aerosol particles, trace gases,
terrestrial and oceanic properties, the interaction between them and their effect on atmo-
spheric radiation and climate,” said Dr. Yoram Kaufman, Terra project scientist. “More-
over, Terra will observe changes in Earth’s radiation budget (a measurement of all the
inputs and outputs of the Earth’s radiative energy), together with measurements of
changes in land/ocean surface and interaction with the atmosphere through exchanges of
energy, carbon, and water. Clearly comprehending these interactive processes is essen-
tial to understanding global climate change,” he said.

A polar-orbiting spacecraft, Terra is scheduled for launch aboard an Atlas-Centaur

IIAS expendable launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The 25-minute
launch window opens at 1:33 p.m. EST (10:33 a.m. PST). Separation of the spacecraft
from its launch vehicle will occur about 14 minutes after launch.

Once in its final orbital position, the satellite will orbit the Earth at an altitude of
approximately 438 miles (705 kilometers) with a Sun-synchronous 98-degree inclination

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and descend across the equator at 10:30 a.m. Because Terra emphasizes observations
of terrestrial surface features, its orbit is designed to cross the equator at this time when
cloud cover, which obscures the land surface, is at its daily minimum. The orbit will be
adjusted so that it covers the complete Earth every 16 days. This orbit will be maintained
with periodic adjustments during the six-year life of the mission.

The spacecraft was built by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space in Valley Forge,
Pa. The five instruments onboard Terra include the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant En-
ergy System (CERES), the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), the Moder-
ate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Measurements of Pollution in
The Troposphere (MOPITT), and the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and
Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument.

The CERES instruments, provided by NASA’s Langley Research Center, Hampton,

Va., and built by TRW, Redondo Beach, Calif., perform measurements of the Earth’s
“radiation budget,” the process that maintains a balance between the energy that reaches
the Earth from the sun, and the energy that goes from Earth back out to space. The criti-
cal components that affect the Earth’s energy balance are the planet’s surface, atmo-
sphere, aerosols, and clouds.

MISR, built and provided by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.,
will measure the variation of surface and cloud properties, and particles in the atmosphere,
with cameras pointed in nine simultaneous different viewing directions. MISR will monitor
monthly, seasonal, and long-term interactions between sunlight and these components of
Earth's environment. Over a seven-minute period, points on the Earth within a 224 mile
(360 kilometer) wide swath will be observed successively at all nine angles.

The Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), provided by

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., and built by the Raytheon (formerly
Hughes) Santa Barbara Remote Sensing, Santa Barbara, Calif., will measure the atmo-
sphere, land and ocean processes, (including surface temperature of both the land and
ocean), ocean color, global vegetation, cloud characteristics, temperature and moisture
profiles, and snow cover. MODIS will view the entire surface (land, oceans, clouds, aero-
sols, etc.) of the Earth every 1-2 days at a “moderate resolution” of one-quarter to one
kilometer.

The Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument, provided

by the Canadian Space Agency and built by COM DEV International of Cambridge,
Ontario, will map carbon monoxide and methane concentrations at altitudes between 10
miles and the ground. MOPITT is an infrared gas correlation radiometer and will produce
maps over the entire globe every 4-16 days. From these measurements the sources,
motions and sinks of these gases can be determined.

The ASTER instrument, provided by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and

Industry and built by NEC, Mitsubishi Electronics Company and Fujitsu, Ltd., will measure
cloud properties, vegetation index, surface mineralogy, soil properties, surface tempera-
ture, and surface topography for selected regions of the Earth.

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 Hundreds of scientists from the U.S. and abroad are prepared to take full advan-
tage of Terra observations to address key scientific issues and their environmental policy
impacts.

Every 1 to 2 days Terra instruments will collect data over the entire Earth’s surface,
making measurements across a wide spectrum ranging from visible to infrared light. This
research ideally will help scientists develop computer models of atmospheric, oceanic, and
terrestrial dynamics and subsequently gain a better understanding of these complex sys-
tems and how they interact. With this information, scientists will improve their ability to
predict significant changes in Earth’s environment before they occur.

Terra will collect and archive an unprecedented quantity of high-quality multispectral

data each day. The data will, for the first time, provide a high-resolution multi-faceted view
of both seasonal and interannual changes in the terrestrial environment.

The Terra Project Office, located at Goddard, manages Terra development for
NASA’s Office of Earth Science in Washington, D.C. Goddard is responsible for the devel-
opment of the satellite and the development and operation of the ground operations sys-
tem. Spacecraft operations will be performed at a Mission Operations Center at Goddard.

Terra is part of a global research program known as NASA’s Earth Science Enter-
prise, a long-term program that is studying changes in Earth’s global environment.

NASA recognizes that the knowledge and data derived from Terra have significant
practical value to society, and plans to foster increased access to, and use of, the informa-
tion to make better, more informed decisions related to National needs which affect every
American -- health and safety, economic wellbeing, and qualify of life in our communities.

A goal of the Earth Science Enterprise is to expand knowledge of the Earth System,
from the unique vantage point of space. Earth Science Enterprise data, which will be
distributed to researchers worldwide at the cost of reproduction, is essential to people
making informed decisions about their environment.

End of General Release

5
 Media Services Information for Terra’s Launch

NASA Television Transmission

NASA Television is broadcast on the satellite GE-2, transponder 9C, C band, 85
degrees west longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, vertical polarization, audio monaural at 6.8
MHz. On launch day, television coverage will begin at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time (1:30 p.m.
Eastern Time) and continue through spacecraft separation 14 minutes after liftoff. The
schedule for television transmissions for Terra will be available on the NASA Television
homepage at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/.

Audio
Audio only of the launch will be available on the V circuits that may be reached by
dialing 407/867-1220, 1240, 1260, 7135, 4003, 4920.

Briefings
A pre-launch briefing at Vandenberg Air Force Base is scheduled on L-1 at 1 p.m.
Pacific Standard Time (4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). The briefing will be carried on NASA
Television and the audio V circuits.

News Center/Status Reports

The Terra News Center at the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office will open on L-3
days and may be reached at (805) 605-3051. Recorded status reports will be available
beginning July 26 at (805) 734-2693, or at (301) 286-NEWS.

Launch Media Credentialing

Media desiring launch accreditation information should contact the U. S. Air Force
Public Affairs Office at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., by close of business on L-2, (two days
before launch) at:

Telephone: 805-606-3595
FAX: 805-606-8303
E-mail: pubaffairs@plans.vafb.af.mil

Requests must be on the letterhead of the news organization and must specify the
editor making the assignment to cover the launch.

Internet Information
Extensive information on the Terra mission, including an electronic copy of this press
kit, press releases, facts sheets, status reports and images, is available from the Terra
World Wide Web home page at http://terra.nasa.gov/.

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 Terra Quick Facts

The Terra spacecraft consists of a spacecraft platform provided under a NASA

contract with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space, Valley Forge, Pa., and five instruments
procured under a NASA contract with several U.S. and international corporations.

Spacecraft
Dimensions: 22 feet long (6.8 meters) and 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) in diameter
Weight: 11,442 pounds (5,190 kilograms)
Science Instruments: CERES (2), MODIS, MOPITT, ASTER, and MISR
Power: Gallium arsenide solar array, will provide 2,530 watts of load power (average)
Instrument Data Rate: 18,545 kilobits per second average
Design Lifetime: Six years

Orbit: 438 nautical miles (705 kilometers), inclination – 98 degrees to the equator

Launch Site: Western Test Range, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Launch Vehicle: Atlas IIAS, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver.

Mission
Planned Launch Date: Dec. 16, 1999
Launch Time: 1:33 p.m. EST (10:33 a.m. PST) (25 minute window)
Spacecraft Separation: Launch + 14 minutes
First Acquisition of Terra Signal: 7 minutes after launch and occurs in through the Tracking
and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS).

Cost: $1.3 billion, including spacecraft, U.S. instruments and launch vehicle (does not
include ground system cost nor the cost of the Canadian or Japanese instruments. Ground
operations, including science operations, people, computer hardware/software, etc., for the
six year mission will cost approximately $120 million.)

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 TERRA
THE EARTH OBSERVING SYSTEM
(EOS) AM-1

Earth System Science

Beginning in the 1960s, NASA pioneered the study of the atmosphere from the
unique perspective of space with the launch of its Television Infrared Observation Satellite
(TIROS-1). Thanks to new satellite and computer technologies, it is now possible to study
the Earth as a global system. Earth System Science integrates many disciplines of scien-
tific research that focus on understanding the planet as a whole, its integral parts and how
its parts interact. Through their research, scientists are better understanding and improv-
ing their forecasting of short-term climate phenomena. For instance, NOAA scientists
predicted the onset of the 1997-98 El Niño about 10 months before it occurred. Although
we are gaining new insights into El Niño, we are currently unable to fully understand the
large-scale impacts of the phenomenon, thus diminishing our ability to respond both be-
fore and after the event.

Long-term weather and climate prediction is a greater challenge that requires the
collection of better data over longer periods. Since climate changes occur over vast
ranges of space and time, their causes and effects are often difficult to measure and
understand. Scientists must obtain long-term data if they are to reach a clearer under-
standing of the interactions among the Earth’s physical and biological systems. NASA’s
Earth Observing System(EOS) will help us to understand the complex links among air,
land, water and life within the Earth system.

What is Terra?

NASA’s commitment to studying the Earth as a global system continues with the
Terra spacecraft (originally called EOS AM-1), representing a key contribution by NASA to
the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Terra is the flagship in a series of EOS
spacecraft. Terra carries five state-of-the-art instrument sets with measurement and accu-
racy capabilities never flown before, enabling it to observe the cycling of water, trace
gases, energy, and nutrients throughout the Earth’s climate system. This comprehensive
approach to data collection enables scientists to study the interactions among the four
spheres of the Earth system – the oceans, lands, atmosphere, and biosphere.

Terra simultaneously will study clouds, water vapor, small particles in the atmo-
sphere (called “aerosol” particles), trace gases, land surface and oceanic properties, as
well as the interaction between them and their effect on the Earth’s energy budget and
climate. Moreover, Terra will observe changes in the Earth’s radiation energy budget -
which is the amount of incoming energy from the sun minus outgoing energy from re-
flected sunlight and emitted heat. If we are to succeed in building predictive computer
models of these complex interactions, we must clearly comprehend global climatic pro-
cesses and parameters.
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Mission Facts

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., provided the spacecraft or
“bus” and one instrument (MODIS). Under Goddard management, Lockheed Martin
assembled and tested the Terra spacecraft at its production facility in Valley Forge, Pa.

A polar-orbiting spacecraft, Terra is scheduled for launch in late 1999 aboard an

Atlas IIAS launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air force Base, Calif. Synchronized with the
sun, Terra’s descending orbit will cross the equator at 10:30 a.m. local time during each
orbit—hence the original term “AM.” Clouds typically form over tropical land in the afternoon
as the surface warms, creating updrafts; hence, Terra’s morning view will provide clearer
images of the Earth’s lands. The satellite will orbit the Earth once every 99 minutes at an
inclination of 98 degrees relative to the equator, at a mean altitude of 438 nautical miles
(705 kilometers). Over the tropical oceans, there are fewer clouds in the afternoon. Terra
will be followed by its “PM” spacecraft counterpart in the year 2000. EOS PM-1 will fly in an
ascending orbit with a 1:30 p.m. equatorial crossing time, thus complementing and extend-
ing Terra’s measurement capabilities.

Terra is a joint project between the United States, Japan, and Canada. The U.S.
provided the spacecraft and three instruments developed by NASA Field Centers—the
Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES), the Multi-angle Imaging
SpectroRadiometer (MISR), and the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MO-
DIS). Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. provided two CERES units, the Jet Propul-
sion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., provided MISR, and Goddard Space Flight Center pro-
vided the MODIS instrument. The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry
provided the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (AS-
TER). The Canadian Space Agency provided an instrument called Measurements of Pollu-
tion In The Troposphere (MOPITT).

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., will conduct launch operations using the Atlas
launch vehicle under a contract with Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver.

Goddard will operate Terra via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It
also will receive, process, and disseminate science data through the geographically dis-
tributed Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). EOS is man-
aged by Goddard for NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C.

The Instruments

The ASTER instrument will measure cloud properties, vegetation index, surface
mineralogy, soil properties, and surface temperature and topography for selected regions of
the Earth at very high resolution (up to 15 x 15 square meters per pixel). Additionally,
because two of ASTER’s subsystems are tiltable, it can obtain detailed three-dimensional
measurements of surface topography.

9
 The CERES instruments will measure the reflected and radiant energy coming from
the Earth’s surface and atmosphere, helping us to better determine our planet’s energy
balance. The critical components that affect the Earth’s energy balance are the planet’s
surface, atmosphere, aerosols, and clouds. CERES will extend the data set begun in the
1980s by NASA’s Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE).

With cameras pointed in nine different viewing directions, the MISR instrument will
measure every part of the Earth system that scatters light differently at different angles:
clouds, Earth's surface, and particles floating in the atmosphere. Measuring the reflective
characteristics of each of these will help us learn about their changing physicalproperties,
as well as quantify their impacts on Earth's energy budget. MISR will also provide unique
three-dimensional views of clouds and volcanic plumes.

The MODIS instrument will measure the atmosphere, land, and ocean processes.
This includes surface temperature (both the land and ocean), ocean color, global vegeta-
tion, cloud characteristics, snow cover, and temperature and moisture profiles. MODIS is
capable of viewing the entire globe daily at moderate resolutions, ranging from 250-meters
square to 1-kilometer square (about 0.386 square miles) pixels. MODIS is a global-scale,
multi-spectral instrument useful for addressing questions in many scientific disciplines.

The MOPITT instrument is an infrared gas-correlation radiometer that will measure

gaseous concentrations of carbon monoxide and methane (important air pollutants) in the
lower atmosphere (troposphere), the lowest 10 miles of the atmosphere. MOPITT will
provide global data on these pollutants as to their location on the planet and the season.

NASA supports about 800 scientists from the United States and abroad to meet
global change research objectives using Terra data.

Goals and Objectives

NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise identified several high-priority measurements that

EOS should perform to facilitate a better understanding of the components of the Earth
system—the atmosphere, the land, the oceans, the polar ice caps, and the global energy
budget. The specific objectives of Terra include:

• providing the first global "snapshot" of numerous Earth surface and atmospheric
characteristics, the initial set of measurements that will begin a 15-year monitoring pro-
gram;

• improving the ability to detect human impacts on climate by identifying “fingerprints”

of human activity;

• providing observations that will improve forecasts of the timing and the geographi-
cal distribution of severe climate events, such as drought and floods;

• improving seasonal and interannual weather predictions using Terra data;

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 • developing methods for disaster prediction, characterization, and risk reduction
from wildfires, volcanoes, floods, and droughts; and

• beginning long-term monitoring of the Earth system to detect changes in global

climate and the environment.

Data Processing and Distribution

Terra will provide the first major part of a 15-year environmental dataset focusing on
global change. The Terra instruments will produce more than 850 gigabytes of data per day,
which is 100,000 volumes of encyclopedias (or 85 personal computer hard disks at 10
gigabytes each) per day. This massive amount of information will be handled using the
Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) being developed by the
Goddard Space Flight Center with prime contractors Raytheon Systems Company and
TRW. EOSDIS has components distributed throughout the U.S. The Terra data will be
processed, archived, and distributed using distributed components of EOSDIS: Science
Investigator-led Processing Systems, and Distributed Active Archive Centers. EOSDIS will
provide the high-performance computing resources needed to process, store, and rapidly
transmit petabytes (millions of gigabytes) of the incoming data. EOSDIS uses an “open”
architecture to allow insertion of new technology while enabling the system to support the
changing mission and science needs throughout the EOS Program.

A New Perspective

Complemented by aircraft and ground-based measurements, Terra data will enable

scientists to distinguish between natural and human-induced changes. The EOS series of
spacecraft are the cornerstone of NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise, a long-term research
effort to study the Earth as a global environment.

For more information on EOS science, access the EOS Project Science Office
Homepage at http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov. For further information on the spacecraft, ac-
cess the Terra Project Homepage at http://eos-am.gsfc.nasa.gov. For details on the sci-
ence goals, objectives, and new science results after launch, see http://terra.nasa.gov; or,
visit the Earth Observatory web page for an interactive learning experience at http://
earthobservatory.nasa.gov.

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 Terra Science Objectives

The launch of Terra marks the beginning of comprehensive monitoring of the atmo-
sphere, the oceans, the Earth’s continents, and the global “heat engine” that drives climate
from a single space-based platform. Data from the five Terra instruments will create con-
tinuous, long-term records of the state of the land, ocean, and atmosphere. Together with
data from satellite systems launched by NASA and other countries, Terra will inaugurate a
new self-consistent data record that will be gathered over the next 15 years.
The science objectives of the Earth Observing System program are to provide
global observations and scientific understanding of land cover change and global produc-
tivity, seasonal-to-interannual climate predictions, natural hazards, long-term climate
variability, and atmospheric ozone. Observations by the Terra instruments will:

• provide the first global and seasonal measurements of the Earth system, including
such critical functions as biological productivity of the land and oceans, snow and ice,
surface temperature, clouds, water vapor, and land cover;

• improve our ability to detect human impacts on the Earth system and climate, identify
the “fingerprint” of human activity on climate, and predict climate change by using the
new global observations in climate models;

• help develop technologies for disaster prediction, characterization, and risk reduction
from wildfires, volcanoes, floods, and droughts, and

• start long-term monitoring of global climate change and environmental change.

The five Terra instruments, listed below, operate by gathering sunlight reflected by the
Earth or heat emitted by the Earth. This “radiant energy” is collected by the instruments
and is focused onto specially designed detectors that are sensitive to selected regions of
the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from visible light to heat. The information produced
by these detectors is transmitted back to Earth and processed by computers into images.
Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer. ASTER will
provide the highest resolution images (15-90 m) of the Terra instruments. Images can be
obtained in visible, near-infrared, shortwave-infrared, and thermal infrared wavelengths.
ASTER consists of three separate telescope systems, each of which can be pointed by
investigators at selected targets. By pointing to the same target twice, ASTER can acquire
high-resolution stereo images. The instrument operates for a limited time during each orbit.
Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System. CERES consists of two broadband
scanning radiometers that measure reflected sunlight, Earth-emitted thermal radiation,
and total radiation. The CERES scanners operate continuously throughout the day and
night portion of an orbit. The two instruments obtain a complete representation of radia-
tion from any direction by sampling in different ways the reflected and emitted radiation.

12
 Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. MODIS will observe the entire
surface of the Earth every 1-2 days with a whisk-broom scanning imaging radiometer. Its
wide field of view (over 2000 km) will provide images of daylight-reflected solar radiation
and day/night thermal emissions over the entire globe. MODIS will be able to see features
as small as 250 m-1 km. Some of the 36 different wavelength regions that MODIS
samples have never before been monitored from space. MODIS operates continuously.
Measurements of Pollution in The Troposphere. MOPITT will be the first scanning
radiometer to measure from space carbon monoxide and methane concentration in the
lower atmosphere. The instrument operates continuously, providing science data on both
the day and night portions of an orbit.
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer. MISR is a new type of instrument designed
to view the Earth with cameras pointed at nine different angles. As the instrument flies
overhead, each region of the Earth’s surface is successively imaged by all nine cameras in
four wavelengths. Global coverage is acquired about once every 9 days. MISR acquires 36
simultaneous images at up to 250 meters resolution, but only during the daylight portionof
each orbit.
Data from the five Terra instruments will be used to produce dozens of data products
on different facets of the Earth system. Some of these geophysical data products will be
produced using data from more than one instrument, each with a different set of assump-
tions and different properties of the product. For example, aerosol properties will be mea-
sured by MODIS using its wide spectral range and 1-2 day single view coverage, and also
independently by MISR using its multi-angle data, narrower spectral range, and 2-9 day
coverage.
These simultaneous, carefully registered data products will allow the EOS instrument
teams to develop broad science approaches to specific problems. For instance, in the case
of deforestation resulting from biomass burning, fires and emitted smoke particles will be
observed by MISR and MODIS, deforestation and burn scars will be observed by ASTER
and MODIS, emitted trace gases (carbon monoxide and methane) will be measured by
MOPITT, and the radiative forcing of climate will be observed by CERES.
Terra data products will be made available to users in the United States and
throughout the world by the EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS). EOSDIS is
designed to operate a suite of polar-orbiting satellites and instruments, capture the satellite
data, and generate useful Earth science data products.
Data from Terra will flow via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS)
to ground stations in White Sands, N.M., where the data will be captured and recorded.
The data will be forwarded to the EOS Data and Operations System at Goddard Space
Flight Center where they will undergo initial processing. Data sets for four of the five
instruments (MODIS, CERES, MISR, and MOPITT) will then be transferred to the appro-
priate Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for further processing. (Initial data for the
ASTER instrument will be sent to the ASTER Ground Data System in Tokyo, Japan, for
further processing.) Eight DAACs representing a wide range of Earth science disciplines
have been selected by NASA to carry out the responsibilities for processing, archiving, and
distributing EOS and related data, and for providing a full range of user support.

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Examples of Planned Terra Research
Vegetation: Landscape Changes

Cutting down forests and turning prairie into farmland affect the Earth’s climate.
Trees and vegetation take up carbon dioxide fromthe atmosphere, while decomposition
returns the carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Knowing how much vegetation the Earth
is losing, how much is growing back, and what happens to the organic litter is critical to
understanding the effects of human land use on climate. MODIS is the first satellite
sensor that will take a global daily tally of human-caused land cover change.
Inez Fung of the University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues will use MO-
DIS to monitor burning forests in the Amazon, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Burning of
trees and organic material pumps carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and
aerosols into the atmosphere. Burning is generally concentrated in small areas that
would be impossible to see without satellites. MODIS can also be used to watch how
well plants and trees recover after a fire.

Atmosphere: Heat Flow and Climate

The Earth’s climate is governed by a balance between sunlight that reaches the
Earth and heat that is radiated back into space. Other factors complicate this apparently
simple picture, in particular water vapor and clouds. Water vapor is the dominant green-
house gas in the atmosphere. It traps heat radiation that would otherwise escape into
space. Clouds can either reflect solar radiation back to space or absorb heat radiation.
Scientists cannot understand the radiation balance without detailed information
about clouds and the greenhouse effect of water vapor. CERES will, for the first time,
collect information about clouds, water vapor, and radiation simultaneously. Scientists
will use the CERES data to improve their predictions about the effects of global warming
on climate and to help differentiate between natural and man-made climate changes.
Since clouds can either warm or cool the atmosphere, they are a great source of
uncertainty in climate prediction models. Leo Donner of Princeton University will use
CERES data to improve the mathematical description of how clouds affect radiation.
More realistic clouds will result in a more accurate depiction of how climate works and
changes.
V. Ramanathan at Scripps Institute of Oceanography plans to use CERES mea-
surements to predict the effect of water vapor on the climate of a warmer Earth. Most
scientists predict that water vapor will magnify the effect of global warming because
warmer air can hold more moisture and a warmer planet evaporates more water.
A critical question for making global predictions is to determine the climate effect
of water vapor in the upper troposphere (5-10 miles high). Water vapor is three times as
effective at trapping heat if it is in this region. CERES measurements will be used to
distinguish the contribution to the total atmospheric greenhouse effect of this critical part
of the atmosphere.

14
Oceans: Temperature and Climate

Oceans are the heat engines driving the Earth’s climate. Warm ocean currents travel
from the equator toward the polar regions, warming the coldest portions of the globe.
Scientists look at sea surface temperature using satellites to determine how climate
change effects the ocean and how the oceans effect climate. Sea surface temperatures
also define the ocean’s turbulent flow patterns, helping scientists study important ocean
circulation systems like the Gulf Stream.
Timothy Liu of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will use MODIS sea surface tem-
perature measurements to understand how the oceans interact with the atmosphere. Sea
surface temperatures represent the amount of heat stored in the upper part of the ocean,
which has a strong effect on climate because the atmosphere and the oceans are con-
stantly exchanging heat. Liu will use the MODIS sea surface temperature information to
make better predictions about how the Earth’s climate will change.
Changes in sea surface temperature patterns are also an indication of physical
processes in the ocean, such as ocean fronts, eddies, and upwelling. Understanding these
phenomena is like understanding weather patterns in the atmosphere. Peter Cornillon of
the University of Rhode Island has used sea surface temperature data from a National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite to explore ocean physical processes for
15 years. He will continue his research with MODIS data to look at long-term trends and
how ocean circulation changes over years and decades.

Snow and Ice: Flooding and Climate Change

When warm spring days begin to melt winter snowpack in the northern United
States, rivers swell and often flood the surrounding countryside. At times, the floods can be
devastating. Thomas Carroll of the National Weather Service’s National Operational Re-
mote Sensing Center will use MODIS data to help map the extent of snow cover in the
lower 48 United States. The snow cover maps offer detailed information to help forecast
spring flooding.
MODIS will monitor snow cover globally, giving climate modelers a critical piece of
information about how the amount of snow and ice on the Earth effects climate. Glen Liston
of Colorado State University will use MODIS data to improve global and regional climate
prediction models. When the sun shines on white snow and ice surfaces, most of the radia-
tion is reflected back to space. Areas covered by snow cannot heat up the atmosphere like
areas covered by soil or other ground cover.
The ice in the Earth’s polar regions constitutes a huge reservoir of fresh water that
responds relatively rapidly to climate change. If ice in the Greenland or Antarctic caps
were to flow more quickly into the ocean, sea levels could rise dramatically. Fresh water
from melting ice added to the salty ocean could also change the density of the ocean
surface water and thereby change ocean circulation, a major component of the Earth’s
climate system.
Ted Scambos and Anne Nolin of the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the
University of Colorado, will use MODIS to monitor the way that ice in Greenland and Ant-
arctica is behaving, both for changes in ice flow patterns and changes in the extent of
melting each summer.

15
Atmosphere: Tracking Air Pollution

Scientists understand much less about what happens to pollution in the lower part of
the atmosphere, called the troposphere, than in the higher stratosphere. The ever-changing
troposphere with its clouds and weather is much more complex and there have been very
few satellite observations of chemicals in the atmosphere below an altitude of 10 miles.

Carbon monoxide is produced primarily by combustion processes such as biomass

and fossil fuel burning. But even relatively pristine regions, such as the South Pacific, can
have elevated levels because carbon monoxide can be transported great distances by
atmospheric winds. Carbon monoxide is absorbed by other chemicals in the atmosphere;
however, this may not happen for many days during which it could travel many thousands of
miles from the source.

MOPITT will provide the first global measurements of carbon monoxide in the tropo-
sphere and give scientists their first opportunity to explore chemical processes in this re-
gion on a global scale. John Gille and his data processing team at the National Center for
Atmospheric Research will create three-dimensional maps of carbon monoxide concentra-
tions, much like a weather forecast, which will be updated as new data are taken.

The maps will also provide the first global scenes of how pollution is transported
around the globe. Members of the MOPITT science team, including Jim Drummond of the
University of Toronto, will be looking at how carbon monoxide is transported between the
continents and from regions where it is released to regions where it is absorbed. Daniel
Jacobs of Harvard University plans to use the maps particularly to answer questions such
as how pollution in China affects North America.

Guy Brasseur at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and John McConnell
at York University are working to combine the satellite data with powerful atmospheric
models that will give scientists the first global pictures of how atmospheric composition
varies over the seasons and at different regions and latitudes.

Other scientists will combine the space-borne measurements with measurements

from aircraft and from the ground to gain a more complete picture of the chemistry of the
lower atmosphere. Gary Davis of the University of Saskatchewan and Jim Drummond will
combine data from an aircraft instrument similar to MOPITT with that from the space instru-
ment to look at regions that are inaccessible to the satellite because they are either too
small, or hidden under clouds.

Land Surface: Urbanization and Agriculture

ASTER will be able to measure heat coming off the ground more accurately than
any previous civilian satellite sensors. Knowing the temperature of the ground can also
tell scientists how much water is in the soil, an important fact for farmers and land man-
agers.
Researchers will use ASTER along with data from Landsat satellites to study
“heat islands” created by many North American cities including Los Angeles, Chicago,

16
Atlanta, Washington, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Calif., Tucson, Ariz., Balti-
more, Md., and Baton Rouge, La.
Rural and agricultural regions will also benefit from ASTER’s heat-sensing capa-
bility. Jim Shuttleworth of the University of Arizona said that by knowing the temperature
of plants, scientists can tell if crops and natural vegetation are short of water. Moisture in
the soil is a major factor effecting how plants grow. By knowing if the plant needs water,
scientists can indirectly tell if there is enough moisture in the soil.

Ecosystems: Long-term Changes

By combining information from three Terra sensors, scientists will be able to see
subtle changes in forest ecosystems with the changing seasons. And by using a com-
prehensive 20-year collection of satellite data along with new MODIS data, scientists will
decipher long-term changes to global ecosystems, giving scientists a global check on
the planet’s vitality.
David Schimel of the National Center for Atmospheric Research will combine
data from Landsat satellites and the Terra sensors MODIS, MISR, and ASTER to look at
how growing seasons in the Northern Hemisphere are responding to overall global
temperature and rainfall trends.
A regional study by the University of Arizona’s Soroosh Sorooshian will use
MODIS data to keep track of seasonal land cover changes in the Southern Colorado
Basin. Sorooshian will study whether seasonal changes in vegetation growth are con-
nected to large climate events like El Niño. Knowing how larger and smaller climate
systems are related could help forecast drought and evaluate forest fire hazards.
A team lead by Compton Tucker of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will add
MODIS data to nearly two decades of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
satellite observations, continuing their long-term studies of global vegetation cover and
the expansion and contraction of the world’s major deserts. MODIS data will be com-
bined with the historical record of data to determine how land vegetation varies from
year to year.
With twice the resolution of previous instruments, MODIS will collect much more
detailed vegetation information. MODIS is also more sensitive to different types of radia-
tion reflected by the Earth’s surface, helping the sensor see vegetation more clearly.
This is important in arid and semi-arid environments where green vegetation can be
sparse.

Oceans: Health of Plant Life

Half of all carbon dioxide taken up by plants on Earth takes place in the oceans.
Microscopic phytoplankton use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, making the
single-cell plants a major part of the global carbon cycle. Scientists will use MODIS to
understand how this massive stock of plant life regulates the amount of greenhouse
gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. The amount, distribution, and health of phytoplankton
can also tell scientists and fisherman what areas of the ocean are full of larger fish and
marine mammals. MODIS is the first satellite sensor that can tell both how much phy-
toplankton there is and how healthy the plants are.
Satellite sensors can see microscopic phytoplankton in the oceans by detecting

17
chlorophyll in the plants. Millions of tiny phytoplankton “bloom” and tint the blue ocean a
bright green.
Kevin Arrigo of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, will use MODIS to study
the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. Because of its remote location, satellites are the
best way for scientists to study seasonal phytoplankton blooms in the ocean surround-
ing the frozen continent.
Mark Abbott of Oregon State University said that in addition to finding out how
much phytoplankton there is, it is important to know how healthy the phytoplankton
populations are. Phytoplankton absorb sunlight and either use it to grow or re-emit it as
faint, red fluorescence. A lot of fluorescence coming from an area in the ocean is a sign
of unhealthy phytoplankton populations, said Abbott. MODIS is the first satellite sensor
that can see fluorescence from the phytoplankton blooms. Abbott plans to use MODIS to
keep check of phytoplankton health in studies of the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii and
along the California and Oregon coasts.

Atmosphere: An Elusive Greenhouse Gas

Methane, one of the major greenhouse gases, is produced by both natural pro-
cesses and human activities. Scientists know that methane is produced by wetlands in
northern Canada and Siberia, fossil fuel extraction, rice cultivation, landfills, and herds of
cattle and other livestock. But they don’t know how large these sources are and where they
are. Researchers will use MOPITT data to answer these basic questions.

The MOPITT science team, led by Jim Drummond of the University of Toronto and
John Gille of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, will produce maps of methane
concentrations in the lowest ten miles of the atmosphere over the entire globe. Methane
levels in the Earth’s atmosphere are low – a few molecules in a million – yet the gas makes
a sizable contribution to global warming. In fact every extra molecule of methane in the
atmosphere is as effective at global warming as forty molecules of carbon dioxide.

These will be the first global maps of an important chemical in the lower atmosphere
that is produced by biological as well as manmade sources. The measurements will enable
scientists to dramatically improve estimates of methane emissions. Methane is one of the
greenhouse gases named in the Kyoto Protocol.

Inez Fung at the University of California, Berkeley says that current estimates for
methane sources and sinks are based on extrapolation from a few well-studied field sites.
She plans to use MOPITT data to improve our understanding of methane sources. For
example, current estimates lump emissions from all wetlands together. She will use the
data to look for major differences between emissions from wetlands of northern Canada
and Siberia.

David Schimel of the National Center for Atmospheric Research plans to study how
natural processes in the atmosphere control methane concentrations. He will compare
MOPITT methane data from different years to study large-scale patterns in climate to get a
fix on what natural processes in the atmosphere control methane concentrations.

18
Oceans: A Key Carbon-Consuming Plant

Scientists believe that one of the culprits in the “missing carbon” problem – the
discrepancy between known sources of atmospheric carbon and known sinks – may be
tiny microscopic plants called coccolithophores. All microscopic plants in the ocean live
on carbon dioxide. But coccolithophores are the only one-celled plants that take bicar-
bonate—a molecule containing carbon—and turn it into fancy microscopic doilies made
up of calcium carbonate, or limestone.
The plants coat themselves in an armor of the limestone discs called coccoliths.
When the plants die, the coccoliths and the carbon they contain can fall to the ocean
floor and build up over millions of years into thick beds of limestone. The result is the
removal of carbon from the Earth’s atmosphere-ocean system. MODIS will provide the
first remote-sensing data designed to keep track of the carbon dioxide-consuming
coccolithophores.
Although satellites can see phytoplankton in the oceans because chlorophyll in
the microscopic plants turn the ocean green, it is not possible to tell one species of
phytoplankton from another from space, except in the case of coccolithophores. William
Balch of the Bigelow Laboratory said that coccoliths have been a problem for remote
sensing because their presence makes it more difficult to measure how much chloro-
phyll the ocean contains, and therefore how much total phytoplankton is blooming. Even
when the coccolithophores are not in full bloom, they account for about 10 percent of
the back-scattered light reaching satellites, making chlorophyll measurements less
accurate.

END

19
Atlas IIAS and Centaur Overview

20
EOS Terra Launch Configuration

21
 Terra Launch Profile
ORIENT SPACECRAFT
ATLAS/CENTAUR & CONTINUES
SEPA RATION SEPARATE M ISSION
SECO
MES M ECO SPACECRAFT
PAYLOAD
FAIRING
J ETTISON
BOOSTER
JETTISON
BECO SECTION CENTAUR C ENTAUR CENTAUR
BURN BURN ORBIT
AL SRB PAIR PRESTART PHASE PHASE
C OLLISION AVOIDANCE
JETTISON EVENTS
MANEUVER AND END
ATLAS PROPELLANT CENTAUR
SUSTAINER BLOWDOWN MISSION
PHASE
A L SRB PAIR
BURNOUT ATLAS
BOOSTER
E vent Basis
PHASE

Gro und -lit (GL) SRB pair Ig nition L/O - 0.51 sec
GL SRB
PAIR Li ft-off (L/O) 2-inch motion
R oll Program L/O + 8 to L/O + 15 sec
JETTISON
GL SRB pair 'declared' Burnout Acceleration drop + delay
A ir-lit (AL) SRB pair Ignition L/O + 59 sec
(design must satisfy: Max q < 630 psf)
AL SRB GL SRB pair Jettison Safe impact range using Rvpjet
PAIR (design must satisfy: M>1.2, t > AL Ign.+3)
IGNITION ATLAS A L SRB pair Burnout/Jettison Acceleration drop + delay
BOOSTER/SRB
PHASE BECO 5.0 g
Booster Pa ckage Jettison BECO + 3.1 sec

GL SRB J ettison Payload Fairing 3 σ qV<360 BTU/ft2-hr (1135 W/m2)

PA IR minimum time from BECO = 25 sec
BURNOUT SECO Propellant depletion
Sustainer Jettison SECO + 2 sec

M ES SECO + 18.5 sec

BOOSTER, M ECO Guidance
SUSTAINER,
A ND GL SRB Spacecraft Separation MECO + 150 sec
PA IR IGNITION

Legend:
MECO= Main Engine Cut Off
SECO= Second Engine Cut Off
GEM= Graphite Epoxy Motor
SRM= Solid Rocket Motor
FPS= Feet Per Second
VL= Velocity (in feet per second)
Alt= Altitude (in nautical miles)
T= Time

Orbit

The satellite will orbit the Earth almost 16 times every day, about once every 99
minutes, at an altitude of approximately 438 miles (705 kilometers). Terra will have a Sun-
synchronous 98-degree inclination and a descending equatorial crossing time of 10:30 a.m.

22
Communication/Data

A silicon cell solar array, nickel hydrogen battery power subsystem will provide 2,530
watts of power to the satellite. The primary communication link between the Terra space-
craft and Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is via the Track-
ing and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). Command and housekeeping telemetry will
be transmitted via S-band. The science data recorded onboard will be transmitted via Ku-
band at 150 Megabits per second. The nominal mode of operation is to acquire two-12
minute TDRSS contacts per orbit. During each TDRSS contact, both S-band and Ku-band
transmission will be used.

In the event that TDRSS communication becomes unavailable, the EOS Polar
Ground Stations (EPGS) located at Poker Flats, Alaska and Spitzbergen, Norway and the
Wallops Island Station, Va., will be used to support command and housekeeping telemetry
via the S-band.

Besides Ku-band and S-band communication, Terra is also capable of downlinking

science data via the X-band. The X-band communication can be operated in three different
modes, Direct Broadcast (DB), Direct Downlink (DDL) and Direct Playback (DP). DB and
DDL will be used to directly transmit real-time MODIS and ASTER science data respec-
tively to users. In the DP mode, recorded science data can be downlinked to the EPGS and
serves as a backup to the primary Ku-band communication link.

Ground System

The ground system includes a spacecraft control center, ground stations for
uplinking commands and receiving data, a data handling facility and a data archive devel-
oped by the Goddard Space Flight Center in conjunction with several Distributed Active
Archiving Centers (DAACs). These facilities, located at major research centers throughout
the United States, will communicate with Terra, control all spacecraft and instrument opera-
tions, and will receive, process, archive, and distribute the data.

Calibration and Validation

In both the pre- and post-launch periods of Terra, EOS instrument team members
and interdisciplinary investigators will conduct scientific field campaigns to verify the quality
and long-term stability of the EOS sensors’ measurements, as well as the validity of the
derived geophysical data products. The magnitudes of any uncertainties and errors in Terra
data products must be quantified, on both spatial and temporal scales, to ensure that the
data are scientifically credible and maximally useful. Understanding the uncertainties and
errors is also essential for future improvement of the algorithms and Earth observing sys-
tems.

To obtain the necessary correlative observations required for validation, the EOS
program will use a four-pronged approach that incorporates the following:
23
1. surface-based (in situ) radiance observations and measurements at specific test sites
obtained as part of the EOS interdisciplinary, instrument, and validation teams’ investiga-
tions;

2. field experiments conducted by EOS interdisciplinary, instrument, and validation teams,

as well as participation in, and support of, nationally and internationally coordinated field
programs;

3. coordination with national and international observation sites and networks such as the
Department of Energy (DoE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, the
National Science Foundation (NSF) Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites, and the
WCRP Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN); and

4. airborne remote sensing measurements using specifically designed EOS instrument

simulators, such as the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS), AirMISR, MOPITT-A, Airborne
Test Radiometer (MATR), and MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER), as well as
community airborne instruments, such as the Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spec-
trometer (AVIRIS).

These highly-focused validation activities will range from calibration of the basic
radiance measurements to validation of the higher-order biogeophysical products such as
land cover, ocean chlorophyll content, net primary productivity, and the planetary energy
budget including components of the atmosphere and surface energy budgets. Validation of
the Terra science data products encompasses measurements and comparisons made on
local-to-regional-to-global scales, including intercomparison of various satellite-derived
parameters and the incorporation of satellite-derived information into models of the Earth
system and its components.

EOSDIS will serve as the primary data system for archiving of Science Working
Group for the Terra Platform (SWAMP) validation data. The EOS Project Science Office
validation home page (http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/ validation/) includes the Terra Instru-
ment science team validation plans and a wealth of information on the EOS Validation
program.

24
 Program/Project Management

NASA developed Terra and is responsible for the development and launch of the
satellite, and the development of the ground system. The Terra spacecraft was assembled
and tested by Lockheed-Martin at its Valley Forge, Pa., production facility.

NASA Management:
Headquarters
Dr. Ghassem Asrar, Associate Administrator of the Office of Earth Science

Goddard Space Flight Center

Kevin Grady, Terra Project Manager
Dr. Yoram Kaufman, Terra Project Scientist

Canadian Space Agency Management:

Barry Wetter, Director General, Space Science Program
Dr. Robert Hum, Director, Space Science & Applications
Roger Colley, MOPITT Project Manager
Dr. David Kendall, MOPITT Project Scientist

MITI Management:
Mr.Toshinori SAEKI
Director, Aircraft, Defence Products and Space Industry Division
Machinery and Information Industries Bureau
MITI, Japan

Mr.Mitsuo INOUE
Assistant Deputy Director, Second Space Reseach and Development Section
Aircraft, Defence Products and Space Industry Division
Machinery and Information Industries Bureau
MITI, Japan

25
Terra Science Team Members

Yoram Kaufman James Collatz

Terra Project Scientist Assistant Terra Project Scientist
Code 913 Code 923
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771 Greenbelt, MD 20771
301-614-6189 301-614-6651
kaufman@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov jcollatz@gsfc.nasa.gov

K. Jon Ranson
Terra Deputy Project Scientist
Code 923
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
301-614-6650
jon.ranson@gsfc.nasa.gov

Langley Research Center

Dr. Bruce Barkstrom, CERES Principal Investigator

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

David J. Diner, MISR Principal Investigator
Thomas Livermore, MISR Project Manager
Dr. Ralph Kahn, MISR scientist
Dr. Anne Kahle, ASTER Principal Investigator
Moshe Pniel, ASTER project manager
Simon Hook,ASTER scientist

Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry

Hiroji Tsu, ASTER Principal Investigator

University of Toronto
Dr. James Drummond, MOPITT Principal Investigator

26