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Missions: Earth System Science Pathfinder Program
Missions in the NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Program are characterized by innovative design and relatively rapid implementation. These are focused missions that uniquely examine important components and physical processes within the global climate systems, including atmospheric CO2 distribution, sea surface salinity variation, mass water movement, and the vertical structure of clouds and aerosols.
To learn more about the program, visit https://essp.nasa.gov/.
| Mission | Mission Category | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Aquarius | Completed | |
 |
Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) | Completed | |
 |
CloudSat | Completed | |
 |
Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (EVM-1) (CYGNSS) | Current, Extended Mission | |
 |
Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EVI-4) (EMIT on ISS) | Extended Mission | |
 |
ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (EVI-2) (ECOSTRESS) | Current, Extended Mission | |
 |
Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory (EVM-2) (GeoCarb) | Eliminated | |
 |
Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation Lidar (EVI-2) (GEDI on ISS) | Current, Extended Mission | |
 |
Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) | Completed | |
| Investigation of Convective Updrafts (EVM-3) (INCUS) | Future |