<title>EOS-AM1: current status</title>

Abstract

EOS-AM1 is the first element of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). The primary goal of EOS, which serves as the centerpiece of Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE), is to provide satellite observations to determine the extent, causes, and regional consequences of global climate change. The EOS series of spacecraft will provide continuous, well calibrated data sets over a period of fifteen years. The EOS-AM1 instrument complement is tailored to the characterization of terrestrial and oceanic surfaces; clouds, radiation, and aerosols; and the earth's radiative balance. In addition, vertical profiles of important tropospheric greenhouse gases, the contribution of volcanoes to climate, and ocean primary productivity will be measured. The payload consists of five advanced facility and principal investigator (PI) instruments: advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER), clouds and earth's radiant energy system (CERES), multi-angle imaging spectroradiometer (MISR), moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), and measurements of pollution in the troposphere (MOPITT). These instruments are being provided by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan, Langley Research Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center, and the Canadian Space Agency, respectively. The project is currently in its C/D phase and is on-track in its development for a June 1998 launch. The EOS-AM project is managed by Goddard Space Flight Center.