UC San Diego scientists selected by NASA for potential future satellite missions
Two teams of scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have been chosen by NASA to participate in concept studies for future satellite missions. These proposals are part of NASA’s Earth System Explorers Program, which conducts satellite-based science missions to study Earth system research.
NASA sought proposals that would advance understanding of climate change factors such as greenhouse gases, the ozone layer, ocean surface currents, and changes in ice and glaciers globally. The two UC San Diego-led teams have both been involved in previous NASA satellite missions.
The first team is led by Scripps glaciologist Helen Amanda Fricker and aims to observe the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems, including forests, and surface features of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice as they change in response to human activity. This mission is called Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer (EDGE). The EDGE team believes that monitoring these shifts in ecosystems and melting polar regions can help mitigate the effects of climate change on both science and society.
The second team is led by Scripps physical oceanographer Sarah Gille and aims to study the ocean’s role in regulating the Earth’s climate through its circulation patterns. Their proposal is called Global Ocean Circulation Observatory (GOCO). GOCO will use a network of satellites to measure ocean currents, temperature, salinity, and other properties over vast areas of the world’s oceans. The data collected will provide insights into how changes in ocean circulation patterns can impact global climate patterns.
Each team will receive $5 million for a one-year mission concept study. If their concepts are selected by NASA for launch in 2030 and 2032, each mission will have a budget of $310 million.
