SPACE.com -- First Earth Images from New Aqua Satellite

The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), onboard NASAs Aqua spacecraft, began sending high quality data on June 1, 2002. Initial (uncalibrated) data gathered from the AMSR-E has delivered impressive pictures of the planet's sea surface temperature from the 6.9 GHz vertical polarization channel. CREDIT: NASDA

The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), onboard NASAs Aqua spacecraft, began sending high quality data on June 1, 2002. Initial (uncalibrated) data gathered from the AMSR-E has delivered impressive pictures of the planet's sea brightness temperatures from the 89.0 GHz vertical and horizontal polarization channels and the 23.8 GHz vertical polarization channel, averaged over the 3-day period June 2-4, 2002. CREDIT: NASDA

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	First Earth Images from New Aqua Satellite By SPACE.com Staff posted: 03:25 pm ET 28 June 2002

Headline:

NASA's recently launched Aqua satellite has returned enough data during its test phase to allow scientists to generate the projects first to pictures.

The onboard Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E), operated by the Japanese, produced Aquas first geophysical product: a global map of sea surface temperatures. In the image, ice and snow cover in white and yellow, desert areas in shades of green, other land areas in dark colors, and oceans in shades of blue.

The sea surface temperature map from AMSR-E is indicative of the high level of detail the microwave imager will routinely provide even in the presence of substantial cloud cover.

"After years of preparation on Aqua, I and hundreds of other scientists are thrilled to have the spacecraft launched and its Earth-observing instruments sending down high-quality data," said Claire Parkinson, the Aqua project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "If all goes as planned, these data will lead to improved weather forecasts and a better understanding of Earth's climate system -- especially the role of water in it."

Aqua is an international partnership between the United States, Japan and Brazil. The primary role of the spacecraft is to gather information about water in the Earths system.

Aqua launched May 4 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The spacecraft and its six instruments are almost midway through their checkout period. Officials expect full science operations to begin this fall.

"These engineering images are great, which tells us that we have a healthy spacecraft and all instruments are performing nominally. Everything indicates that we are on schedule to go operational in early September," said Phil Sabelhaus, Aquas Project Manager at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.