The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment, SAGE, is a series of instruments designed by NASA to observe stratospheric ozone, aerosols, and water vapor from space. In the mid-1980s, scientists realized there was a problem with Earth’s protective coat of ozone...it was thinning. The SAGE family of instruments was pivotal in making accurate measurements of the amount of ozone loss in Earth’s atmosphere and helped leaders around the world institute an international treaty banning products containing harmful chemicals that destroy stratospheric ozone. SAGE is a key part of NASA’s mission to provide crucial, long-term measurements that will help humans better understand and care for Earth’s atmosphere.
Wildfires have been burning across the state of California since August 2020. As the fires continue to rage, NASA Earth science missions have observed increased numbers of airborne particles known as aerosols across the country. Different types of aerosols scatter or absorb sunlight to varying degrees, depending on their size, type and location. While most […]
After 20 years of continuous human presence, the International Space Station (ISS) has provided 241 visitors with an extraordinary view of Earth from outer space — one they have shared with the rest of the world. Astronaut photography, formally called Crew Earth Observations (CEO), has resulted in more than 3.5 million photographs of the ever-changing […]
NASA offers a variety of internship opportunities to thousands of students across the country throughout the year. The 2020 internship program looked very different due to COVID-19. While interns were not able to be physically on-site at NASA centers, they were able to work virtually from home and gain the same professional experience. Despite the […]
A.50 SAGE III/ISS Science Team seeks proposals for members of the SAGE III Science Team. Proposals are sought in six topical areas that appear below. The first five areas are presented in no particular priority order, while the sixth topic, Independent validation, is deemed of somewhat lower priority: · Assessing Long-term Changes in Atmospheric Composition· […]
The devastating southeastern Australian bushfires that started last September spewed smoke and aerosols higher into the atmosphere than some Earth-observing instruments have ever measured. After months of hot and dry weather, the fires erupted in the heavily populated areas of New South Wales and Victoria burning millions of acres of land, destroying thousands of homes, […]
SAGE III is a planet finder! (… at least in our immediate neighborhood.) It was able to detect Mercury during its recent transit across the sun. The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III instrument uses the Sun to collect data on stratospheric ozone, aerosols, water vapor, and other trace gases during sunrise and sunset […]
After 27 days in survival mode during the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC) 4 power loss, the SAGE III/ISS instrument doesn’t have to worry anymore. The instrument’s full power was restored thanks to the all-woman spacewalk on October 18. On October 21, the SAGE III/ISS operations team successfully completed the payload activation at 2:15 pm ET (18:15 UTC) […]
Members of the SAGE III/ISS mission team attended the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting from December 10th – 14th, 2018 in Washington, D.C. Conference visitors were able to experience the SAGE III instrument installed on the exterior of the International Space Station through a virtual reality demonstration. SAGE III Program Scientist, Dr. Richard Eckman, gave […]
Operating an occultation science instrument aboard a manned, frequently visited spacecraft the size of a football field poses many challenges to data collection and quality. The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III instrument, currently on board the International Space Station (ISS), is equipped with the tools necessary to mitigate and control these challenges. Dave […]
