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NASA's most advanced space-based laser satellite took off on Saturday to track global ice loss and improve sea-level rise forecasts as the climate warms.
The half-ton ICESat-2, of a billion dollars, was concealed in the early morning dawn at 06:02 (1302 GMT) aboard a Delta II rocket since the base of Vandenberg Air Force, California.
"Three, two one, take off!" said a TV launch commentator from NASA.
"Raise ICESat-2 on a quest to explore the polar caps of our ever-changing planet."
This launch marks the first time in nearly a decade that NASA has a tool in orbit to measure ice surface elevation around the world.
The previous mission, ICESat, launched in 2003 and completed in 2009.
The first ICESat revealed that the sea ice was becoming lighter and the ice cover was disappearing from the coastal areas of Greenland and Antarctica.
Over the next nine years, an air mission called Operation IceBridge flew over the Arctic and Antarctic, taking measurements of ice pack height.
But a view of space – especially with the latest technologies – should be much more precise.
An update is particularly urgent as global average temperatures have increased year by year, with four of the hottest modern years all occurring between 2014 and 2017.
"The loss of things like the sea ice that covers the Arctic Ocean affects our climate and the loss of ice that covers Greenland and Antarctica raises sea levels," said Tom Wagner, scientist of the cryosphere program at NASA.
He added that the satellite should reveal new information about ice in the deep interior of Antarctica, a mystery zone for scientists.
– Powerful laser –
The new laser will launch 10,000 times in a second, compared to the original ICESat that fired 40 times per second.
Measurements will be taken every 2.3 feet (0.7 meters) along the satellite path.
"The mission will collect enough data to estimate the annual altitude change in the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica, even if it does not exceed four millimeters, the width of a # 2 pencil."
Most importantly, the laser will measure the slope and height of the ice, not just the area covered.
"Our data will help ice-cap modelers better predict the future," said Tom Neumann, assistant researcher at ICESat-2.
Although powerful, the laser will not be hot enough to melt the ice at its point of observation, about 500 kilometers above the Earth, NASA said.
The mission is expected to last three years, but has enough fuel to last for 10 years if mission managers decide to extend their life.
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Say goodbye to a workaholic from the space industry
Sacramento CA (SPX) Sep 14, 2018
The upcoming launch of NASA's ICESat-2 ice monitoring satellite will be the latest for the United Launch Alliance's medium-lift Delta II rocket, whose reliability has made it a workhorse for aircrafts. civilian, military and commercial customers. The Delta II includes main engines and stage engines provided by Aerojet Rocketdyne.
With its origins dating back to the dawn of the space age, the Delta II has enjoyed admirable success since its inception almost three decades ago, in 1989. A successful launch of the ICES from NASA … read more
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