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“NASA and SpaceX to Launch Groundbreaking Mission to Monitor Air Pollution from Space”
NASA and SpaceX are preparing for the launch of NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution instrument) on Friday, April 7, at 12:30 a.m. EDT. The TEMPO mission is a significant step in monitoring air pollution in high spatial resolution, as it is the first space-based instrument to monitor major air pollutants hourly.
TEMPO will be carried by the satellite Intelsat 40E, which will be launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and integrated onto Intelsat 40E by Maxar.
TEMPO will monitor air pollutants in a region stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Canadian oil sands to below Mexico City, encompassing the entire continental United States. The data collected by TEMPO will help to inform air quality management and public health decisions.
The launch will be broadcast live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Full coverage of the mission will include social media and blog updates beginning no earlier than 12:05 a.m. on April 7.
The TEMPO mission is a significant milestone in the monitoring of air pollution in high spatial resolution, and the collaboration between NASA and SpaceX highlights the importance of space exploration in providing valuable data for scientific research and public health. Follow the launch and mission updates on NASA’s website and social media accounts.
Coverage information:
Live launch coverage will air on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Follow events online at:
Full coverage of this mission is as follows (all times Eastern):
Friday, April 7
12:05 a.m. – Prelaunch broadcast with the following participants:
- Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division director, NASA Headquarters
- Erika Wright, education specialist, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
12:19 a.m. – Live launch coverage begins
12:30 a.m. – Two-hour launch window opens
NASA website and social launch coverage
Launch coverage of the mission will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include social media and blog updates beginning no earlier than 12:05 a.m. Friday, April 7, as launch milestones occur. Follow NASA social media accounts and NASA Langley Research Center social media accounts for mission updates.
Source: NASA