Earth

The Airborne Science Program uses different kinds of aircraft to test the instruments that fly on spacecraft, such as satellites.

Aqua’s main goal is to improve our understanding of Earth's water cycle.

Aura has several instruments that work together to measure particles in the air called aerosols, ozone gas and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere.

CLARREO Pathfinder will measure the light and energy reflected off the Earth that comes from the Sun and will help to improve the accuracy of climate measurements collected by other satellites.

The Global Navigation Satellite System provides our cell phones and cars with locations for navigation; the CYGNSS mission has seven satellites that measure how these signals bounce off of the ocean.

DSCOVR collects observations of the Earth’s atmosphere and monitors the flow of particles from the Sun, called solar wind.

ECOSTRESS measures plant temperatures to reveal their water needs.

GEDI is the first laser to create 3-D maps of Earth's forests and geographic features, such as how tall the forest is, how dense its branches are, and how its leaves are spaced throughout the canopy.

This satellite network measures rain and snow worldwide.

GRACE-FO measures changes in Earth’s gravity at least once every 30 days.

The Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 mission measures the thickness of ice sheets and sea ice, and tree canopy heights.

Jason-3 is the fourth U.S.-European satellite mission that measures ocean-surface height.

LAGEOS 1 & 2 (short for Laser Geodynamics Satellites) help scientists make measurements used for studies of Earth’s shape and continental drift.

Landsat satellites provide essential information about land surfaces to help scientists detect and monitor melting glaciers, urban growth, natural disasters such as floods and droughts, as well as changes in farms and forests.

NISAR will use radar to see through the clouds to learn about the planet. It will measure all of the world’s land and ice twice every 12 days.

OCO-2 is the first spacecraft dedicated to studying carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere.

OCO-3 is a near replica of OCO-2 and measures carbon dioxide in our atmosphere to help us understand the relationship between plants and carbon dioxide.

The Ocean Surface Topography Mission on the Jason-2 satellite helps to measure ocean height by bouncing microwave pulses off of Earth and timing them.

This mission studies phytoplankton (a type of tiny algae), ocean color and measures atmospheric particles and clouds.

SAGE-III-ISS peers through the atmosphere as the sunlight or moonlight shine through it. The information it collects helps us understand and care for Earth's atmosphere.

These satellites will help us to understand ocean circulation. They will also help to measure and monitor global sea level rise. It will also capture measurements of the atmosphere that will help improve how we predict future weather and climate.

SMAP improves our ability to predict and monitor floods and droughts. It also helps to improve regular weather forecasts. It can also help predict how much food farm crops will produce.

Suomi-NPP is a satellite with five instruments that watch Earth's environment and climate.

SWOT is providing the first global survey of all Earth’s surface water.

This mission studies certain key pollutants in the air we breathe.

Terra keeps a close watch on Earth's atmosphere, ocean, land, snow, and ice.

This mission is four separate satellites, each made up of three CubeSats. TROPICS will measure atmospheric temperature profiles and precipitation.