Earth’s Poles Losing TOO MUCH Heat? Tiny Satellites Launched to Solve 1 Mystery!

NASA and Rocket Lab are gearing up to launch the second CubeSat for the PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission, aiming to enhance our comprehension of how the Arctic and Antarctic influence Earth’s climate. The scheduled launch is set for Saturday, June 1, with a window opening at 3 p.m. NZST (11 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 31).

The first satellite, dubbed “Ready, Aim, PREFIRE,” was successfully launched on May 25 at 7:41 p.m. NZST (3:41 a.m. EDT) via an Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand. Rocket Lab is currently preparing the second Electron rocket, named “PREFIRE and Ice,” for launch from the same site in New Zealand.

The PREFIRE mission, facilitated by small satellites, will address a critical gap in our knowledge regarding the amount of heat Earth loses to space from the polar regions. With unprecedented detail, these satellites will examine the planet’s far-infrared heat emissions, offering insights into phenomena such as sea ice decline, ice sheet melting, and Arctic warming.

Developed jointly by NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, with spectrometers provided by JPL and CubeSats built by Blue Canyon Technologies. Data collected will be processed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

Under NASA’s Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract, Rocket Lab was chosen by NASA’s Launch Services Program to launch both spacecraft. CubeSats like PREFIRE offer a versatile platform for technical and architectural advancements, playing a crucial role in NASA’s scientific research and technology advancement efforts.