Published on 03 Sep 2024 | Tim Michaels
NASA has publicly released the first look at PREFIRE mission data, also known as the first light announcement!
The PREFIRE science team worked with NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio to create this first light video. It showcases some of the fascinating infrared details of the Arctic surface and atmosphere that PREFIRE-SAT2 captured in July 2024. The visualization begins by showing mid-infrared emission intensity data (in this case, at wavelengths near 9.29 micrometers) taken in early July during multiple orbits. Zooming in on two passes over Greenland, the orbital tracks expand vertically to show how far-infrared emission intensities (at wavelengths greater than 15 micrometers) vary through the atmosphere. Finally, it focuses on the area where the two passes intersect, showing how the intensity of far-infrared emissions changed over the nine hours between these two orbits.
The PREFIRE science team is hard at work analyzing the countless measurements - of the infrared energy being emitted by Earth’s polar regions - that the twin CubeSats are radioing to the ground every day!
This work is supported by NASA.
- PREFIRE First Light Announcement!
- 2024 PREFIRE Science Team Meeting
- Second PREFIRE Satellite Launched!
- Update on second PREFIRE CubeSat launch
- First PREFIRE Satellite Launched!
- Rocket assembly pics and PI radio interview
- Launch update and a new short video!
- NASA's tiny twin polar satellites (first launch soon)
- Pre-launch anticipation of PREFIRE CubeSat science
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NASA has publicly released the first look at PREFIRE mission data, also known as the first light announcement! The PREFIRE science team worked with NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio to create a first light video. It showcases some of the fascinating infrared details of the Arctic surface and atmosphere that PREFIRE-SAT2 captured in July 2024. The PREFIRE science team is hard at work analyzing the countless measurements that the twin CubeSats are radioing to the ground every day.
Read more
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