Earth Observing Systems Program Mission Characterization - Abstract
THE EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH OBSERVING SYSTEMS PROGRAM
Ken Ely
Aerospace Engineering 396
The University of Texas at Austin
November 3, 1992
INTRODUCTION
Each planet in our solar system is unique in its own way. The Earth however, is the only planet that we know of that receives enough sunlight and is composed of the necessary materials to support its many complex processes- each process dependent upon another. In the last century some of these processes have been disrupted causing global environmental problems affecting such areas as agriculture, energy and human life.
Several prominent issues presently concern the scientific community. The changing global atmosphere, due in part to pollutants causing climatic changes such as global warming, has become a large international and political concern. Other major concerns are: depletion of the ozone layer over Antarctica and reduced ozone at mid-latitudes; tropical deforestation of Africa and South America causing an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (greenhouse effect); and the climate implications of global desert expansions [2].
In 1984 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) formed the Earth Observing System Science and Mission Requirements Working Group whose purpose was to consider the study of the Earth system from a low-earth orbital perspective in the 1990's. In addition, the consideration of observation instrument packages and an advanced data collection system to carry out the specified scientific objectives were addressed.
This paper discusses the early development of the Earth Observing System concept and its evolution through the end of the 1980's up through its present state in 1991. Although many of the basic concepts created by the Working Group stay intact today and the program is in fact still alive, it has gone through quite an evolution. This paper concentrates on this evolution from the mission design viewpoint, including a discussion of international involvement and the programÕs present status without going into great detail of the Earth Science objectives.
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