Tags: NASA, Hosted Payload, Scientific Mission, Air Pollution
Publication: SpaceFlightNow.com
Publication Date: 11/08/2012

A factory smokestack in New Jersey emits pollutants into the atmosphere. Image credit: United Nations Photo

NASA will take its first step toward using a hosted payload for a scientific mission with a pollution-monitor sensor scheduled for launch in 2017. The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) is planned to work from a commercial communications satellite in GEO.

The goal for this mission is to study Earth’s atmosphere to measure concentrations of pollutants over North America. Changing levels of sulfur dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, aerosols and ozone in the atmosphere are its main observation and tracking goals to improve air quality research.

After TEMPO, NASA plans to launch two other missions on commercial hosted payloads: a deep space atomic clock and a laser communications testbed. The agency has not selected specific host satellites yet.

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