A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched from Florida a new NASA device designed to monitor air pollution over North America, called the Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument.
What is the TEMPO Mission?
Image source: The Indian Express
The Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument, which is about the size of a washing machine, will enable scientists to monitor air pollutants and their emission sources from space.
- TEMPO will measure pollution and air quality across greater North America on an hourly basis during the daytime, from Puerto Rico up to the tar sands of Canada.Â
- TEMPO’s unique feature is that it will be hosted on an Intelsat communications satellite in geostationary orbit, meaning it will stay over the same location at all times, allowing for hourly measurements.Â
TEMPO Special Features
- TEMPO is a special instrument because it will allow for the monitoring of air pollutants and their emission sources from space more comprehensively than ever before.Â
- It will measure pollution and air quality across greater North America on an hourly basis during the daytime, down to the neighbourhood level, enabling scientists to monitor the effects of everything from rush-hour traffic to pollution from forest fires and volcanoes.Â
- Existing pollution-monitoring satellites are in low Earth orbit, which means they can only provide observations once a day at a fixed time.Â
- With TEMPO, for the first time, scientists will be able to make hourly measurements over North America, providing valuable data to help improve air quality across the continent and protect the planet.
TEMPO Mission Significance
- The TEMPO mission is important because air pollution is a significant global issue that affects the health and well-being of millions of people.
- TEMPO will enable scientists to monitor air pollutants and their emission sources from space more comprehensively than ever before.
- The data will be used by various agencies, including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), responsible for addressing atmospheric pollution.Â
- Among the pollutants tracked by TEMPO will be nitrogen dioxide, produced from the combustion of fossil fuels, formaldehyde, and ozone. The data will also be made available online for members of the public to monitor air quality information in their local area, which will help raise awareness about the issue and potentially inform personal decisions about activities that affect air quality.
Frequently Asked Questions on NASA’s TEMPO Mission
Where is TEMPO launching from?
TEMPO instrument was launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on 7th April 2023.
What is the resolution of the TEMPO satellite?
TEMPO instrument has a spatial resolution of 2 km/pixel in the north-south direction, and 4.5 km/pixel in the east-west direction at the centre of the FOR (Field of Regard) which is desired to be 36.5° N, 100° W.
- A geostationary orbit is an orbit in which a satellite orbits the Earth at a height of about 35,786 kilometres (22,236 miles) above the equator.
- In this orbit, the satellite rotates at the same rate as the Earth, allowing it to appear stationary from a fixed location on the ground. This is useful for applications such as weather forecasting and communications, where a stationary satellite can provide continuous coverage of a specific area on the Earth’s surface.Â
NASA’s TEMPO Mission [UPSC Notes]:- Download PDF Here
| Related Links | |||
| Space Technology | IN-SPACe | ||
| Reusable Launch Vehicle | International Telecommunications Satellite Organization | ||
| International Space Station | Indian Spacecraft for Science and Technology | ||
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