NASA has recently shared the first images from its TEMPO instrument, a groundbreaking mission that can measure air quality over North America with unprecedented detail and frequency. TEMPO, which stands for Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution, is the first space-based instrument to provide hourly observations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, aerosols, and clouds. These pollutants affect human health, climate change, and the environment.
TEMPO was launched on April 25, 2023 as a hosted payload on Intelsat 40e, a commercial communications satellite. It orbits about 36,000 kilometers above the equator and covers an area from Mexico City to the Canadian oil sands, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. TEMPO can monitor pollution from various sources such as traffic, fires, volcanoes, and agriculture. It can also help scientists study the health impacts of pollutants and create air pollution maps at the neighborhood scale.
“TEMPO is a game-changer for air quality research. It will provide data that are more accurate and more detailed than ever before, enabling us to better understand how air pollution affects our health and our environment,” said Kelly Chance, TEMPO principal investigator at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
TEMPO data will be shared with partner agencies and decision makers to improve air quality and address climate change. TEMPO will also collaborate with other international satellite missions to create a global air quality constellation.
“TEMPO will revolutionize how we see and understand air pollution from space. It will provide unprecedented information on the sources and evolution of pollutants over North America, which will benefit both science and society,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
“TEMPO is a great example of how NASA leverages partnerships to advance science and benefit society. By partnering with Intelsat, we were able to find a cost-effective way to launch this important instrument and ensure its long-term operation,” said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division in Washington.
“TEMPO will provide a new perspective on air quality that complements existing ground-based and satellite observations. It will help us monitor pollution trends, evaluate mitigation strategies, and support environmental justice initiatives,” said Barry Lefer, TEMPO project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“TEMPO is part of a global effort to improve our understanding of air quality and its impacts on human health and climate change. By working together with other satellite missions, we can provide consistent and comprehensive information to decision makers and the public,” said Jassim Al-Saadi, TEMPO project manager at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
Relevant articles:
– NASA Shares First Images from US Pollution-Monitoring Instrument, NASA, August 24, 2023
– NASA’s TEMPO sends first North American pollution data maps, UPI, August 24, 2023
– Watch new NASA sensor measure US air pollution from space in real time (video), Space.com, August 25, 2023
– NASA’s new space probe to see Earth air pollution releases first images, MSN, August 25, 2023