2000 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| EO-1 SEES THE FUTURE WHILE LOOKING AT EARTH
| G00-093A | 11/27/00 | 00:23:28 | In the future, exploration of the Earth will demand research tools that can not only make some of their own decisions, but deliver results faster, better and cheaper than their forebears. NASA's launch of the experimental EO-1 satellite is a significant milestone in that journey. Part of the space agency's New Millennium Program, engineers designed EO-1 to test advanced technologies for instruments pointed at our own planet. The satellite will not only demonstrate significant improvements in data collection capabilities, but will also test methods for dramatically reducing costs and complexity to achieve state of the art goals. As the first New Millennium satellite designed to look at the Earth, NASA hopes EO-1 will open a new era in exploration of our own planet.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): Testing the Future of Earth Science (Reporter Package) - "It's the first of its kind--a powerful, relatively inexpensive, lightweight satellite aimed not only at our home planet, but also at setting new standards in how to build and operate a state-of-the-art scientific instrument. NASA calls it Earth Observing One--EO-1 for short. and in case you're wondering, it is faster, better, cheaper. since the launch of the first landsat satellite in july of 1972 NASA has sent a number of earth observing instruments into space. But it's arguably the late 1990s that heralded the golden age in planetary remote sensing. In fact, part of EO-1's experimental plan includes a coordinated flight formation with a fleet of modern Earth viewing satellites, something that hasn't been done before. but doing thing in completely new ways just is what EO-1 is all about. The principal purpose of the larger program that developed the satellite is validation and real world testing of new, sometimes radically improved technologies. The business sides of the satellite are loaded with innovative engineering efforts, from new antennas and radiators, to solar panels and land imagers, and a device for correcting the distortion of pictures taken through the gauzy haze of our atmosphere. There's an experimental steering thruster attached to the side of the ship. And helping keep the whole project on course and on task is advanced computer software that allows the spacecraft to make some of its own decisions--"fuzzy logic" as the engineers call it. while its unlikely that EO-1's futuristic technologies will find their ways into your next car, the benefits from development of these systems can have dramatic downstream effects on daily life. But first they must be tested in action, and if all goes well, NASA will not only have opened another window on the future, but a new window on the earth, too."
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| ITEM (2): Satellite on the Edge of the Future: EO-1 (voice over) - NASA's latest research instrument has one foot in the present and one in the future. Called Earth Observing-1, project managers designed the compact, state of the art research satellite not only for testing revolutionary technologies but also for delivering cutting edge science about our planet. the system is part of the space agency's advanced "New Millenium Program".
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| ITEM (3): A View from Above - The hexagonal satellite called EO-1 carries a suite of instruments designed to test new technologies while also conducting valuable research about our home planet. Flying almost 438 miles above the Earth, the satellite's scientific hardware can deliver some of the data collection capabilities previously possible only from satellites far larger and more complex. Fully outfitted, EO-1 weighs nearly 1166 pounds at launch. It's being sent into orbit on a Delta 7320-10 rocket launched from Vandenberg AFB in California.
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| ITEM (4): NEW INSTRUMENTS:
Clearing the View--The Atmospheric Corrector - Between the Earth and any satellite on orbit lies an ocean through which all information must pass. It's the atmosphere, and to the highly precise sensors of delicate orbiting systems, it can be just like looking through a cloudy or warped window. For researchers, this is a problem that must always be taken into account when looking at Earth from space. But the EO-1 project will test a new device designed to compensate for atmospheric distortion. It's called The Atmospheric Corrector (AC). If proven effective, such a device will likely be applicable to other scientific or commercial remote sensing missions where water vapor or other particles in the atmosphere might cause measurements of the surface to degrade.
Seeing Earth's Quilt Anew --The Advanced Land Imager - In many ways, the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) embodies the engineering ideal that less is more. A principle component to the EO-1 mission, ALI is an Earth observing instrument designed to generate images of the planet based on various wavelengths of light reflected from the surface. Project designers developed the instrument to be comparable with or exceed the capabilities of Landsat's Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus. Further, the EO-1 project team designed ALI to deliver these images at a significant reduction in weight, technical complexity, and cost--- all vital features to facilitating development of advanced Earth observing satellites.
Beyond the Pale--Hyperion Imaging Spectrometer - It's not so much that the Hyperion instrument will be able to see the Earth more "close up" or have a higher spatial resolution than previous instruments. Yet Hyperion's goals are nothing less than ambitious. The instrument is designed to gather highly complex data from a given region on the Earth by viewing the surface in terms of 220 distinct colors or "bands" of light. Think of looking at a photograph in black in white and then comparing the exact same frame in color. Even though there is no greater resolution to the image, no change in perspective, lighting, or magnification, the amount of data presented to the viewer has greatly increased. Project managers designed Hyperion to fill in that kind of data in observed regions on the ground. The uses for an instrument than can make such fine spectral distinctions include studies of land use, changes in land cover, mineral resource assessment, research into coastal processes, changes in the atmosphere and more.
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| ITEM (5): NEW TECHNOLOGY:
Changing Directions --Pulsed Plasma Thruster - This innovative design for a steering thruster uses solid Teflon as a means for changing the satellite's spatial orientation. When small amounts of the propellant are turned to plasma by an electrical discharge, it's accelerated out of the steering nozzle by an electromagnetic field. Because of the plasma discharge, project managers will test the thruster after most of the other systems on the satellite have put through their paces. This will help insure that there's no contamination or corruption of any instrumentation on board from the thruster plume. The new thruster will be used to maintain fine pitch attitude control for the spacecraft-- essentially small navigational adjustments. If the technology is proven to work as designed, it could have a wide range of uses in future spacecraft systems.
Shedding Light on new Solar Technologies -- Lightweight Flexible Solar Array - The EO-1 satellite will have two solar panels. The main panel --the wide, wing looking extension attached to the spacecraft--is basically a variant of proven technology, flown on many previous missions. But on one side of the satellite's underbelly, engineers have attached a new, experimental solar panel in an effort to generate significantly more power at a fraction of the weight, size, and complexity. It's called the Lightweight Flexible Solar Array (LFSA). Not only is it significantly lighter than solar cells designed as crystals, but it can also operate on a flexible, less rigid surface, with significantly higher returns on its electrical output. Flight validation of a technology like this is imperative, because certain real-world conditions cannot be simulated adequately on the ground. One of the more interesting hurdles for the system to confront concerns how it stands up to the rigors of a near-Earth environment. Successful development of Lightweight Flexible Solar Array technologies will dramatically enhance future satellite engineers ability to maximize the value of what they can put into orbit by delivering more reliable sources of ever precious power in greater quantities.
Pushing the Edges of Technology: Touring Some of EO-1's Systems - EO-1 is primarily a test bed for new technologies and techniques. In this animation, we point out several of the other visible devices that comprise the satellite.
Advanced Land Imager
Atmospheric Corrector
Hyperion (Hyperspectral Imager)
X-Band Phased Array Antenna
Carbon-Carbon Radiator
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| ITEM (6): The Landsat Duet: Enhanced Formation Flying, Part I
(Two Way EFF animation) - A novel experiment will be conducted with EO-1 and Landsat 7 working in concert. In the first satellite maneuver of its kind, EO-1 and Landsat 7 will assume an orbital "formation", flying approximately one minute apart on the same ground track. In terms of distance, this will place the two spacecraft approximately 270 miles (450 kilometers) apart, plus or minus 30 miles (50 kilometers) or so.
By flying the same route so close together, nearly identical images taken by each satellite can be compared on the ground. As potentially powerful improvements to existing technologies, use of the Advanced Land Imager and the Hyperion instruments on EO-1 in concert with Landsat overflights refine the calibration. Of more immediate interest is the opportunity to try EO-1's Atmospheric Corrector as a tool for refining data collected by its fellow satellite Landsat, flying one minute ahead.
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| ITEM (7): A String of Pearls: Enhanced Formation Flying, Part II (Four Way EFF animation) - With EO-1, NASA plans to fly a spacecraft in formation with three other research satellites for the first time. Soon after achieving orbit, the satellite will become part of a carefully choreographed constellation, joining Landsat 7, the Earth observing flagship Terra, and SAC-C, an instrument designed and managed by the space agency of Argentina. Enhanced Formation Flying (EFF) tests highly sophisticated software systems, including so-called "fuzzy logic" algorithms to resolve navigational and operational conflicts that inevitably occur in flight. Some of the benefits of flying satellites in formation come in the area of risk management. By using small fleets of less expensive, less complex satellites in place of singularly large, highly sophisticated platforms, a catastrophic failure does not necessarily cause irreparable harm to an overall mission. Further, by flying a suite of sensors in formation, researchers can essentially create one enormous "virtual" satellite by integrating the data collected individually by each smaller instrument.
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| ITEM (8):
Large Ambitions in a Small Package: SAC-C - SAC-C is an international cooperative mission between NASA and the Argentine Commission on Space Activities (CONAE). The Argentine space agency in providing the spacecraft and some of its instrumentation, while NASA will provided the launch vehicle and other components. The SAC-C program also encompasses technical contributions from Brazil, Denmark, France, and Italy. SAC-C will study terrestrial and marine ecosystems, monitor atmospheric temperature and water vapor, examine variabilities in the ionosphere, study the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and the Sun, provide multi-spectral images of the Earth in order to monitor the condition and dynamics of the terrestrial and marine biosphere and environment, and more. The satellite even includes an experiment to track the migratory route of the Franca whale. By working in concert with NASA, SAC-C will be able to significantly add to the growing pool of orbiting observatories that are seeking to better understand how our planet works.
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Stars of the Sky--A Gallery of Standout Earth Observing Satellites :
LANDSAT: Continuing a Legacy of Earth Observation - From an altitude of 438 miles (730 kilometers), Landsat 7 can see surface features as small as 15 meters, providing world-wide land resource information for a diverse range of uses. The satellite is part of a global research effort NASA calls the Earth Science Enterprise, which seeks to acquire a long term understanding of the changes to our planet. Landsat 7 is the latest in a series of satellites. It roared into orbit aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket on April 15, 1999 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA officially called the first Landsat satellite the Earth Resources Technology Satellite, or ERTS-1, on July 23, 1972. Since then the program has continued to pave the way in research and data acquisition techniques about the surface of our planet.
TERRA: Flagship of the Earth Observing System - One December 18, 1999 NASA launched Terra, paving the way for the a new era in orbiting Earth science tools. It's a multi-national orbiting research platform managed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. By synchronizing a sophisticated suite of sensors and instruments, Terra will help researchers pursue some of the grandest and most complex questions about the nature of our home planet, including cutting edge research into climate change.
The orbiting research facility can simultaneously study clouds, water vapor, aerosol particles, trace gases, terrestrial and ocean properties, and systemic interactions on a planetary scale.
SEAWiFS: Big Returns from a Small Package - SeaWiFS (Sea-Viewing Wide Field of View Spectrometer) is the scientific portion of the OrbView-2 satellite, orbiting The Earth at an altitude of 423 miles (705 kilometers). By providing a regular picture of the planet's color, SeaWiFS helps researchers learn about the state of the world's interconnected ecosystems. OrbView-2 blasted into space on August 1, 1997 lifted by an extended Pegasus rocket. SeaWiFS is considered a low cost mission, many orders of magnitude less expensive than other Earth observing instruments. In scientific terms, however, this little instrument has proved to be one of the space agency's star performers, it's highly focused mission parameters netting huge scientific returns for researchers studying a wide variety of questions.
TRMM: Watching Rain to Help Explain - The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is the first Earth Science mission dedicated to studying tropical and subtropical rainfall, precipitation that falls within 35 degrees north and 35 degrees south of the equator. Tropical rainfall comprises more than two-thirds of the worldÕs total. The instrument uses several instruments to detect rainfall including radar, microwave imaging, and lightning sensors. Flying at a low orbital altitude of 217 miles (350 kilometers), TRMM's study of tropical rainfall and attendant processes will help improve our understanding and predictions of global climate change.
TOMS: Probing the Ozone Layer from Above - The current TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) instrument flies on NASA's Earth Probe. Its ozone mapping utility come from the instrument's abilities to monitor reflected ultraviolet light. By making nearly 200,000 daily measurements, the instrument can survey nearly the entire planet on a regular basis, offering scientists a powerful tool for measuring both sudden and long-term climatological changes. NASA launched the satellite in July 1996. |
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New Millennium, New Goals: NMP Charts a Path to the Future - Historically NASA built its reputation by doing things that had never been done before. Now as economies and professional cultures are evolving faster than ever, the space agency is using that national momentum to capitalize on its ability to collaborate and innovate. One way is through the agency's New Millennium Program. By bringing many of the advanced technology projects together into a real-world testing environment, NMP is actively pushing the very edges of spacecraft design, management, and capability. The first New Millennium spacecraft to blast off was Deep Space-1, made famous by its historic test of an ion-propulsion engine. NASA launched DP-1 on October 24, 1998. EO-1 is the first Earth observing satellite to fly under the New Millennium banner. Equally ambitious as its now far-flung sibling, the satellite embodies the three principle goals of the New Millennium Program. It is significantly smaller by design as compared to similarly tasked craft, generally reducing the cost. Its onboard controls are semi-autonomous, teaching project managers how to build spacecraft that can start making some day-to-day operational decisions themselves. And the technologies being tested by the project are at a stage in their design histories where they demand in-flight validation so that they might be refined and applied to future spacecraft designs.
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| ITEM (11):
Selected Soundbites - Dr. Bryant Cramer, EO-1 Program Manager and Dr. Steve Ungar, EO-1 Project Scientist
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Additional B-Roll - EO-1 under construction at the Goddard Space Flight Center.
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EO-1 Launch - NASA launched and deployed Earth Observing One (EO-1), as part of a series of satellites designed to provide daily information on the health of our Planet. EO-1 was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on November 11, 2000.
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Earth Science Gallery