Facts on Mission to Planet Earth

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

RESEARCHERS

PROGRAM SCHEDULE AND CONTENT

EVOLUTION IN PROGRAM PLANNING AND BUDGET

Facts on Mission to Planet Earth:

Accomplishments

Discoveries and Noted "Firsts"

Weather

Ozone

Oceans

Land Surface

Earthquakes

NASA launched the first weather satellite (TIROS I) in 1960, beginning successful series of spacecraft that revolutionized weather prediction and improved hurricane-tracking techniques and severe storm warnings, thus protecting lives and property in coastal areas around the world. NASA continues to build all of America's civilian weather satellites.

A NASA satellite instrument confirmed the existence of the Antarctic ozone hole in 1985 and has monitored its growth since then. Data from NASA aircraft, balloons, satellites and ground research helped confirm the link between human produced chemicals and ozone destruction. This research contributed significantly to the international treaties signed to protect the ozone layer. Now, NASA and NOAA measurements seem to indicate that the treaties are beginning to work.

NASA ocean research provided the first precise measurements
of ocean height and most precise data on ocean circulation to
date. A NASA/French satellite helped determine the strength
and duration of the 1994-95 El Niño, the latest episode of the
climate shift that can bring devastating rains to the U.S. and
drought to other parts of the world. In the future, these data
will help us predict how El Niño will affect different regions.
From 1978-86, a NASA instrument first provided global
measurements of plant life productivity in the world's oceans
(important to knowing both how climate may be changing and
where fish are gathering); this data set will resume this year.

NASA pioneered studying the Earth's surface from space, spawning a growing commercial sector. NASA analyses of data from Landsat first proved that satellites could be used to accurately estimate tropical deforestation. These analyses revealed that the extent of deforestation in Brazil - while significant was less than expected. NASA funded researchers are also using Landsat data to track the deterioration of wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay and fight diseases threatening the $10 billion California wine industry.

Two NASA/Italian satellites have helped scientists precisely track movements of Earth's surface for nearly 20 years, increasing our understanding of earthquakes. NASA researchers also developed low-cost ground receivers that enable precise determination of land motion, another key in understanding seismic activity.

Facts on Mission to Planet Earth:

Accomplishments
(continued)

Communicating Data and Research

Open Access

Broad Use

NASA leads the government effort to set an open access policy
for the data from global change research. This means that all
data from satellites is being processed as quickly as possible
and made readily available for wide use. The prototype
(Version 0) of the MTPE data system called EOSDIS - came
on line in 1994, allowing scientists around the world to work
with existing data sets and to provide feedback to designers on
how the system could evolve and be even more useful.

EOSDIS will be one of the largest civilian data systems ever constructed. While a major job will be to support MTPE scientists, NASA also estimates that EOSDIS will be used by:

o Thousands of other scientists, in U.S. and across the globe
o Up to 10,000 other researchers, government officials, etc.
o Over 100,000 users in business, education, agriculture,
media, and the public

Preparing for the Future

Education & Training

MTPE is helping train the next generation of scientists and engineers to understand and study Earth as an integrated system and educating and training educators as research evolves and capabilities change: