A strong new Earth-monitoring satellite should keep on its dwelling planet somewhat longer.
The Joint Polar Satellite System-2 satellite, or JPSS-2 for brief, was presupposed to launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from California’s Vandenberg House Drive Base on Tuesday (Nov. 1).
Over the weekend, nevertheless, NASA and ULA introduced that the launch workforce wants to exchange a battery on the Atlas V’s Centaur higher stage. Because of this, the JPSS-2 liftoff “is now deliberate for no sooner than Wednesday, Nov. 9, pending vary availability,” NASA officers wrote in a brief update (opens in new tab) on Saturday (Oct. 29).
Associated: Powerful new Earth-monitoring satellite JPSS-2 to study weather’s ‘butterfly effect’
JPSS-2 can be operated by the U.S. Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The satellite will launch to a polar orbit round Earth, from which it should examine our planet with five different science instruments.
JPSS-2’s knowledge will support scientists in a wide range of methods, from enhancing climate forecasts to monitoring the impacts of climate change, mission workforce members have mentioned.
Additionally packed atop the Atlas V is an inflatable warmth defend referred to as the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). LOFTID will journey to orbit, then come again to Earth at excessive pace earlier than deploying parachutes and splashing down within the Pacific Ocean close to Hawaii.
Researchers will examine how LOFTID performs throughout this take a look at run, to evaluate the potential of inflatable warmth shields to land heavy payloads on Mars and different planets.
Mike Wall is the creator of “Out There (opens in new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a ebook concerning the seek for alien life. Observe him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in new tab). Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) and on Facebook (opens in new tab).
