Terra (satellite)

Terra
	Terra (EOS AM-1)
Mission type	Climate research
Operator	NASA
COSPAR ID	1999-068A
SATCAT no.	25994
Website	terra.nasa.gov
Mission duration	Elapsed: 25 years, 4 days
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	NASA
Launch mass	4,864 kilograms (10,723 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	December 18, 1999, 18:57:39 UTC
Rocket	Atlas IIAS AC-141
Launch site	Vandenberg SLC-3E
Contractor	ILS
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Semi-major axis	7,080.0 kilometers (4,399.3 mi)
Eccentricity	0.0001392
Perigee altitude	708.7 kilometers (440.4 mi)
Apogee altitude	710.6 kilometers (441.5 mi)
Inclination	98.2098°
Period	98.8 minutes
RAAN	251.3130 degrees
Argument of perigee	83.7699 degrees
Mean anomaly	276.3654 degrees
Mean motion	14.57110250
Epoch	25 June 2016, 02:58:27 UTC
Revolution no.	87867

Terra (EOS AM-1) is a multi-national NASA scientific research satellite in a Sun-synchronous orbit around the Earth.^[1] It is the flagship of the Earth Observing System (EOS). The name "Terra" comes from the Latin word for Earth. A naming contest was held by NASA among U.S. high school students. The winning essay was submitted by Sasha Jones of Brentwood, Missouri.

Launch

The satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on December 18, 1999, aboard an Atlas IIAS vehicle and began collecting data on February 24, 2000. It was placed into a near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 705km, with a 10:30am descending node.

Mission

Terra carries a payload of five remote sensors designed to monitor the state of Earth's environment and ongoing changes in its climate system:^[2]

ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer)^[3]
CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System)
MISR (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer)
MODIS (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)^[4]
MOPITT (Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere)^[5]

Data from the satellite helps scientists better understand the spread of pollution around the globe. Studies have used instruments on Terra to examine trends in global carbon monoxide and aerosol pollution.^[6] The data collected by Terra will ultimately become a new, 15-year global data set.

Malicious cyber activities

In June and October 2008 the spacecraft was targeted by hackers who gained unauthorized access to its command and control systems but did not issue any commands.^[7]

Gallery of images by Terra

The first image taken by Terra.
The Solar eclipse of August 1, 2008, over Russia, Norway, and the Arctic Ocean as seen from NASA's Terra satellite.
The effects of the European winter storms of 2009–2010 on Great Britain, seen from Terra.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill oil slick as seen from space by NASA's Terra satellite on May 1, 2010.
The Deepwater Horizon oil slick just off the Louisiana coast on April 30, 2010, visible from space.
Hurricane Karl, the most destructive hurricane of the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season, approaches Mexico on September 16.

References

^ "NASA: TERRA (EOS AM-1)". nasa.gov. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
^ Maurer, John (November 2001). "Overview of NASA's Terra satellite". hawaii.edu (University of Hawai'i). Retrieved 2011-01-07.
^ Stevens, Nicki F.; Garbeil, Harold; Mouginis-Mark, Peter J. (2004-01-22). "NASA EOS Terra ASTER: Volcanic topographic mapping and capability" (PDF). Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
^ "MODIS Terra Satellite Images". ucar.edu(National Center for Atmospheric Research: Earth Observatory Laboratory). Retrieved 2011-01-07.
^ "MEASUREMENTS OF POLLUTION IN THE TROPOSPHERE (MOPITT)". acd.ucar.edu (NESL's Atmospheric Chemistry Division). Retrieved 2011-01-07.
^ "NASA's Terra Satellite Tracks Global Pollution". gsfc.nasa.gov (Goddard Space Flight Center). 2004-05-18. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
^ "2011 REPORT TO CONGRESS of the U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION, page 216" (PDF). uscc.gov. Retrieved 2012-10-09.

External links

NASA Terra site

Template:Space-based meteorological observation

[NASA:_TERRA_(EOS_AM-1)-1] "NASA: TERRA (EOS AM-1)". nasa.gov. Retrieved 2011-01-07.

[Overview_of_NASA's_Terra_satellite-2] Maurer, John (November 2001). "Overview of NASA's Terra satellite". hawaii.edu (University of Hawai'i). Retrieved 2011-01-07.

[NASA_EOS_Terra_ASTER:_Volcanic_topographic_mapping_and_capability-3] Stevens, Nicki F.; Garbeil, Harold; Mouginis-Mark, Peter J. (2004-01-22). "NASA EOS Terra ASTER: Volcanic topographic mapping and capability" (PDF). Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. Retrieved 2011-01-07.

[MODIS_Terra_Satellite_Images-4] "MODIS Terra Satellite Images". ucar.edu(National Center for Atmospheric Research: Earth Observatory Laboratory). Retrieved 2011-01-07.

[0-5] "MEASUREMENTS OF POLLUTION IN THE TROPOSPHERE (MOPITT)". acd.ucar.edu (NESL's Atmospheric Chemistry Division). Retrieved 2011-01-07.

[NASA's_Terra_Satellite_Tracks_Global_Pollution-6] "NASA's Terra Satellite Tracks Global Pollution". gsfc.nasa.gov (Goddard Space Flight Center). 2004-05-18. Retrieved 2011-01-07.

[2012_REPORT_TO_CONGRESS_of_the_U.S.-CHINA_ECONOMIC_AND_SECURITY_REVIEW_COMMISSION-7] "2011 REPORT TO CONGRESS of the U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION, page 216" (PDF). uscc.gov. Retrieved 2012-10-09.

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v t e ← 1998 Orbital launches in 1999 2000 →
January	Mars Polar Lander ROCSAT-1
February	Stardust Globalstar 23, Globalstar 36, Globalstar 38, Globalstar 40 Telstar 6 JCSAT-6 Soyuz TM-29 ARGOS, Ørsted, SUNSAT Arabsat 3A, Skynet 4E Globus No.15
March	Wide Field Infrared Explorer Globalstar 23, Globalstar 37, Globalstar 41, Globalstar 46 AsiaSat 3S DemoSat
April	Progress M-41, Sputnik 99 INSAT-2E USA-142 Eutelsat W3 Globalstar 19, Globalstar 42, Globalstar 44, Globalstar 45 Landsat 7 UoSAT-12 Ikonos-1 ABRIXAS, Megsat-0 USA-143
May	Orion 3 Feng Yun 1C, Shijian 5 TERRIERS, MUBLCOM Nimiq 1 USA-144 Oceansat-1, Kitsat-3, DLR-Tubsat STS-96 (Starshine 1)
June	Globalstar 25, Globalstar 47, Globalstar 49, Globalstar 52 Iridium 14A, Iridium 21A Astra 1H QuikSCAT FUSE
July	Gran' No.45 Molniya 3-50 Globalstar 30, Globalstar 32, Globalstar 35, Globalstar 51 Progress M-42 Okean-O No.1 STS-93 (Chandra) Globalstar 26, Globalstar 28, Globalstar 43, Globalstar 48
August	Telkom 1, Globalstar 24, Globalstar 27, Globalstar 53, Globalstar 54 Kosmos 2365 Kosmos 2366
September	Koreasat 3 Yamal-101, Yamal-102 Foton 12 Globalstar 33, Globalstar 50, Globalstar 55, Globalstar 58 EchoStar V Ikonos 2 Telstar 7 LMI-1 Resurs F-1M
October	USA-145 DirecTV-1R CBERS-1, SACI-1 Globalstar 31, Globalstar 56, Globalstar 57, Globalstar 59 Orion 2 Ekspress A1
November	GE-4 MTSAT-1 Shenzhou 1 Globalstar 29, Globalstar 34, Globalstar 39, Globalstar 61 USA-146
December	Hélios 1B, Clémentine Orbcomm FM30, Orbcomm FM31, Orbcomm FM32, Orbcomm FM33, Orbcomm FM34, Orbcomm FM35, Orbcomm FM36 XMM-Newton † VLS-1 V02 (SACI-2) USA-147 Terra STS-103 Arirang-1, ACRIMSAT, Millennial Galaxy 11 Kosmos 2367 Kosmos 2368
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).