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John G. Watson
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
(Phone: 818/354-5011)
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Robert D.
Allen
Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
(Phone: 757/864-6176)
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RELEASE: 99-012
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TWO LANGLEY PROJECTS CHOSEN
NASA Will Study Ideas to Transform Earth Observations
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 NASA's New
Millennium program has selected four concepts for further
study as candidates for its Earth Observing 3 (EO-3) mission,
technologies that could revolutionize space-based Earth
observations, according to Dr. Ghassem Asrar, NASA's Associate
Administrator for Earth Science. Each concept is designed to test
innovative approaches for observing Earth's surface and atmosphere
from positions outside of low-Earth orbits, with an emphasis on
advanced measurement technologies.
The primary goal of the New Millennium program is to identify,
develop and validate key instrument and spacecraft technologies
that can lower cost and increase performance of science missions in
the 21st century.
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"The technologies under
consideration by these missions will revolutionize space-based
Earth observations, based on their unique spatial, spectral and
temporal characteristics, and capture aspects of the Earth's
dynamic atmosphere that have not been possible before," said
Asrar.
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The selected concepts
are:
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- Geostationary imaging
Fourier transform spectrometer, proposed by Dr. William L. Smith,
chief of the
Atmospheric Science Division at NASA's Langley Research
Center, Hampton, VA, which will lead the study.
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- Geostationary tropospheric
trace gas imager, proposed by Dr. Jack Fishman, a member of the
Atmospheric Science Division of the Langley Research
Center. Dr. Fishman will work with Dr. James F. Gleason, a member
of the Laboratory of Atmospheres at Goddard, with the Langley
Research Center leading the study.
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- Active large aperture
optical systems to provide high resolution thermal imaging from
geosynchronous orbit, proposed by Del Jenstrom, manager of Advanced
Geosynchronous Studies at NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, which will lead this
study.
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- Geostationary synthetic
aperture microwave sounder, proposed by Dr. Bjorn Lambrigtsen, a
senior member of the technical staff in the Earth and Planetary
Atmospheres Research Element at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, which will lead this
study.
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These concepts were selected
from 24 proposals submitted in response to a NASA Research
Announcement released in September 1997. The selection process
included evaluations of each proposal by external science and
technology peer reviewers, along with two panel sessions with
leading NASA scientists and technologists to categorize each
proposal.
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Each of the concept
providers is responsible for forming a team to conduct a six-month
study effort, at the end of which they will each produce
peer-reviewed study reports. At least one will be selected by the
Office
of Earth Science to enter the full implementation phase.
Final selection is targeted for September 1999.
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 The first New Millennium program Earth-orbiting mission,
Earth Observing-1 (EO-1), is scheduled for launch in
December 1999. It will demonstrate an advanced land imager system
and hyperspectral imaging technologies that may eventually replace
the current measurement approach used by Landsat satellites.
Further information about EO-1 is available at URL:
http://eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov/NUwww/miscPages/home.html
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 Earth Observing-2 will fly an infrared laser in the cargo bay
of the Space Shuttle to demonstrate the capabilities of a
space-based lidar to accurately measure atmospheric winds from the
Earth's surface to a height of about ten miles. This flight is
scheduled for launch in early 2001. Details are available at URL:
http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/sparcle/
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The New Millennium program
is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for NASA's Office
of Space Science and Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC.
Further information about the New Millennium program is available
at URL: http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/
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