PREFIRE mission (An experiment on polar radiant energy in the far infrared range) NASA was extended until September 2026 year. in addition, it extends the focus from the Earth's poles to the entire globe. The mission's two cubesats measure water vapor capacity, clouds and other elements of the Earth's system retain heat and prevent its radiation into space. This information can help improve predictions, particularly regarding the intensity of the weather and the frequency of storms.
Launch service provider, Rocket Lab USA Inc. from Long Beach, California, launched both PREFIRE cubesats from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand in May and June 2024 year for measurements, to find out how much heat the planet emits into space from the Arctic and Antarctic.
At the heart of the mission is a pair of advanced spectrometers, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. They measure light intensity in the far infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum with sensitivity, which in 10 times higher than the sensitivity of any similar device. This information gives researchers insight into the processes, associated with the melting and formation of surface ice, melting and accumulation of snow, as well as changes in cloud cover.
Although PREFIRE cubesats collect data from all over the globe, the scientific team focused its analysis on the polar regions of the Earth. In the future, they will expand their work, including data from the rest of the world.
The satellites are in a so-called asynchronous circumpolar orbit, passing near the poles with a difference of several hours. This provides two snapshots of the same area over time, which allows the mission to capture phenomena, occurring in a short time frame, such as the temporary effect of cloud cover on the temperature of the ground beneath it.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov