NASA said the launch went smoothly and the satellite will be operational in late May or early June. The Intelsat satellite is called the Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution instrument (TEMPO) and is designed to monitor and collect data on the presence of smoke components in the atmosphere (nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and ground-level ozone).
As the scientists point out, TEMPO will be in geostationary orbit directly above the equator and will measure air quality over North America every hour. In addition, the satellite will measure regions that are only a few kilometers apart. This is a significant improvement over current technology, as measurements are now over 100 square miles.
TEMPO will be able to measure from neighborhood to neighborhood, giving a complete picture of pollution at both the macro and micro levels. It will also provide unique insights into the new type of data: changes in pollution levels during rush hour, the impact of lightning on the ozone layer, the movement of pollution associated with wildfires, the long-term effects of fertilizers on the atmosphere, and other information.
Spacecraft separation confirmed! The Intelsat satellite hosting our mission is moving away from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and heading towards stable orbit,” tweeted NASA.
Source: Ferra
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