NASA was one of the first entities to talk about global warming, an issue that will not be strange to you by now. However, we turned a deaf ear until it was too late. As a result, a disturbing trend has emerged on the planet that they now want to check by launching a satellite, and there doesn’t seem to be any good news in the short or medium term.
NASA is concerned about this trend: they want to confirm urgently
NASA is increasingly worried about rising air pollution levels and trends around the world. While efforts have been made in many countries to curb emissions, air quality remains a major environmental and public health concern, as you can imagine.
Recent studies have shown that air pollution contributes to millions of premature deaths annually, and can lead to heart and lung diseases, cancers, and other adverse health effects. Air pollution also impacts the climate, agriculture, and so much more.
NASA scientists have observed that many developing nations are seeing rapid increases in pollution as their economies grow. Even in developed countries, progress on air quality can be uneven. Wildfires, weather patterns, and other factors also influence pollution levels.
With more people moving to urban areas, and new pollution sources emerging, NASA recognizes that more needs to be done to accurately monitor air quality changes over time. This will help inform pollution reduction policies and assess their effectiveness.
It´s all ready to track out pollution: a glimpse at TEMPO satellite
The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) satellite will provide hourly measurements of major air pollutants across North America. Developed by NASA in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, TEMPO will be the first geostationary satellite dedicated to air quality monitoring.
The satellite will track ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, aerosols, and clouds. It will have high spatial resolution, able to zoom in on urban areas and major sources of pollution. TEMPO will also be able to detect pollution from both natural and human sources.
By monitoring pollution continuously, TEMPO will help improve air quality forecasts. It will provide near real-time data on pollution over Mexico, Canada, and the US. The frequency and level of detail from the satellite will far exceed current ground-based monitoring capabilities.
The satellite that will alarm us in the U.S.: why we should be concerned
The TEMPO satellite will be able to track air pollution hourly from space for the first time ever. This new capability will provide critical data to help understand pollution trends and impacts. In fact, we are expected to know more and more precisely which cities in the United States pollute the most.
TEMPO will use ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy to measure various pollutants in the atmosphere. This includes ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, and aerosols. TEMPO will be able to scan locations across North America during daylight hours and provide hourly air quality data.
This high frequency and detailed pollution data will help identify pollution hot spots and trends. TEMPO can track how pollution moves and evolves throughout the day and across regions. This hourly pollution tracking will shed light on when and where peak pollution occurs.
The TEMPO mission aims to advance air quality monitoring and forecasting. Having hourly data will significantly improve air quality models and our understanding of pollution transport and chemistry. TEMPO pollution data will be made publicly available to empower communities and inform local decision making.
It is clear that the relationship between NASA and climate change is not only about how much its rockets pollute, but also about a satellite that will help us monitor how we are harming our planet. What is certain is that only the future will show whether this invention served to raise awareness or whether, as happens at every Climate Summit, it was all just a symbolic act of no real use.
