The article discusses the Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite Terra, which has been in operation for over 20 years. Terra was launched in 1999 and was designed to study Earth's land, water, and atmosphere from space. The satellite has a six-year lifespan, but it has continued to operate beyond its expected lifetime due to the efforts of NASA engineers and scientists.
The article highlights the achievements of Terra and its instruments, which have provided valuable data on climate change, weather patterns, and other environmental phenomena. It also discusses the development of the EOS fleet, which includes satellites like Aqua, Aura, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, CALIPSO, and CloudSat.
As Terra's operations come to an end, NASA is facing a bittersweet conclusion. The loss of the three EOS flagship satellites will change the way scientists monitor Earth and affect our understanding of the planet's radiative balance. However, the data collected by Terra and its sister satellites will continue to be used for years to come.
The article concludes with quotes from Michael King, former Senior Project Scientist and MODIS Team Lead, who praises Terra's significance in contributing to all aspects of Earth science. The author also expresses gratitude to Terri Wood, EDOS Project Manager, for her team's efforts in keeping the satellite operational for longer than expected.
Key points:
* Terra was launched in 1999 and has been operating beyond its six-year lifespan.
* The satellite has provided valuable data on climate change, weather patterns, and other environmental phenomena.
* The EOS fleet includes satellites like Aqua, Aura, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, CALIPSO, and CloudSat.
* Terra's loss will affect our understanding of the planet's radiative balance.
* The data collected by Terra and its sister satellites will continue to be used for years to come.
Overall, the article is a tribute to the achievements of Terra and the EOS fleet, which has made significant contributions to our understanding of Earth and its climate.
The article highlights the achievements of Terra and its instruments, which have provided valuable data on climate change, weather patterns, and other environmental phenomena. It also discusses the development of the EOS fleet, which includes satellites like Aqua, Aura, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, CALIPSO, and CloudSat.
As Terra's operations come to an end, NASA is facing a bittersweet conclusion. The loss of the three EOS flagship satellites will change the way scientists monitor Earth and affect our understanding of the planet's radiative balance. However, the data collected by Terra and its sister satellites will continue to be used for years to come.
The article concludes with quotes from Michael King, former Senior Project Scientist and MODIS Team Lead, who praises Terra's significance in contributing to all aspects of Earth science. The author also expresses gratitude to Terri Wood, EDOS Project Manager, for her team's efforts in keeping the satellite operational for longer than expected.
Key points:
* Terra was launched in 1999 and has been operating beyond its six-year lifespan.
* The satellite has provided valuable data on climate change, weather patterns, and other environmental phenomena.
* The EOS fleet includes satellites like Aqua, Aura, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, CALIPSO, and CloudSat.
* Terra's loss will affect our understanding of the planet's radiative balance.
* The data collected by Terra and its sister satellites will continue to be used for years to come.
Overall, the article is a tribute to the achievements of Terra and the EOS fleet, which has made significant contributions to our understanding of Earth and its climate.
they've kept Terra operational way longer than expected! that's so cool 
i'm sad to see it come to an end tho 
can you believe all the data we've got from it? climate change, weather patterns, and more... so valuable 
and the fact that other satellites like Aqua & Aura are still flying high is awesome 
but yeah, losing Terra will definitely change how we monitor our planet's health 
. NASA's been lucky to have Terra stick around for 20+ years. Now we're gonna miss it 
. Time to get new ones online so scientists can keep studying our planet 
.
I'm so sad to see Terra's operations coming to an end... it's like formatting a document and then losing all your favorite layouts 
. On a more serious note, can we talk about the design of NASA's satellite systems? Like, have you seen how they lay out their data collection instruments? It's so clean and minimalistic 
. And I love how they mention Terri Wood, EDOS Project Manager - her team deserves all the credit for keeping Terra up and running 
. The EOS fleet is like a perfectly formatted list of scientific wonders 
... can we get more info on what's next for NASA? Maybe some juicy details about their new satellite designs? 
NASA's efforts on keeping Terra operational for so long is truly impressive! The data collected from those satellites will definitely be missed but it's awesome that scientists can still use it in the future 
terra's been doing its thang since 1999 
I'm still not convinced about these satellites though... think about all the tech that's gonna be outdated by the time they're retired. Like what's next, a satellite from the '90s running Windows XP? 
And don't even get me started on the cost... billions of dollars for a bunch of old tech that's still chugging along? Not impressed. The data's already been collected, why waste so much cash on keeping them operational? 
. all in all, it's a bittersweet moment for nasa, but hey, at least we'll always have the awesome data they've collected 
.
. And CALIPSO? That thing is a weather nerd's dream come true 
. So even though Terra's not with us anymore, its legacy lives on.
.
. I mean, can you imagine watching the same sunset on space for over two decades? That's some serious dedication from NASA engineers 
! And who knows, maybe its legacy will inspire future space missions like Ava in 'Ex Machina' 
. Anyway, I'm gonna miss seeing Terra's beautiful views of our planet 
. RIP, little guy! 
And the fact that NASA engineers & scientists were able to keep it going for so much longer than expected is just amazing 
. But yeah, losing a satellite like Terra does mean we'll have to find new ways of monitoring Earth's atmosphere... but I'm sure NASA's got this covered 
and I gotta say it's crazy that it's still working after all these years! Like, 20+ years in space is insane! 
NASA engineers are like the ultimate problem solvers, you know? They found a way to extend its lifespan way beyond what was expected. It's awesome that they can still get so much info out of it even when it's supposed to be retired.
. And can we talk about the rest of the EOS fleet? Aqua, Aura, OCO... CALIPSO & CloudSat too! 
It's like a space team effort 
They worked so hard 2 keep Terra operational 4 so long 
And the data they collected? Insane! 
, but on the bright side, it means all those years of data we got from it are still gonna be super useful in the future! I mean, think about it, we're talking decades of research on climate change and weather patterns... that's some solid foundation for scientists to build upon 
. Plus, all these other satellites like Aqua and Aura are keeping the EOS fleet alive and kicking 
i mean weve lost some amazing data but the good news is that the data they collected will still be usable for ages 
. But with all these new satellites coming online (EOS fleet, Aqua, Aura...), it feels like we're just upgrading from one generation to another 
. Guess the data collected by those satellites will still be useful for years to come 
