ICESat Mission

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ICESat Mission

• By Berhan Amare
• Period 5
• Date Nov. 28, 2006

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Owner (who built it) information is complete

• James Watzin
• NASA s Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) has
  developed the ICESat mission to provide answer to
  these how to protect our planet also understand.

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ICESat Missions part of ESE

• ice sheet elevations
• changes in elevation through time,
• height profiles
• clouds and aerosols, land elevations and
  vegetation cover, and approximate sea ice
  thickness.

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What does this satellite's orbit look like?

• ground track will process to the West as the
  Earth rotates
• Altitude 600 km circular
• Inclination 94 0/- 0.5 degrees Period 96.7
  minutes
• Repeat Cycle 183 days Non-Sun-Synchronous
• Designs to operate 3 to 5 years

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Goals of the Mission?

• Need to know what percentage of clouds cover the
  earth every day in order to make their computer
  climate models and weather forecast models work
  better.
• Need to know what measure of height distribution
  of moisture and pollutants in atmosphere.

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http//www.eijournal.com/3_IceSat.asp

• http//icesat.gsfc.nasa.gov/