The best information on Earth's atmosphere is yet to come, NASA said yesterday.
The agency plans to launch its Aura satellite, seen here in an artist's rendering,
June 19.
Aura will help scientists understand how atmospheric composition affects and
responds to Earth's changing climate. The satellite will help reveal the processes
that connect local and global air quality. It will also track changes in Earth's
protective ozone layer and monitor ozone-depleting chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons.
Aura's four instruments will provide an unprecedented picture of the composition
of the atmosphere from the surface through the stratosphere, adding to work
done by the Terra and Aqua satellites.
"Aura, the first comprehensive laboratory in space to help us better understand
the chemistry and composition of the Earth's atmosphere, is fundamentally a
mission to understand and protect the very air we breathe, " said Ghassem Asrar,
NASA associate administrator for Earth Science.
