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Glory

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Status: Other
Mission Category: A-Train
Launch Date: March 4, 2011
Launch Location: Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA
Actual Completion Date: March 4, 2011

The Glory satellite consists of a spacecraft bus and three instruments and will be launched from the Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Taurus 2110 launch vehicle. Glory's remote sensing mission is designed to:
1) collect data on the optical, microphysical, and chemical properties, and spatial and temporal distributions of aerosols and clouds; and 2) continue the long-term total solar irradiance climate record.

NASA's Glory spacecraft failed to reach orbit after its 5:09:45 a.m. EST liftoff Friday March 4, 2011 from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. The fairing on the Taurus XL launch vehicle failed to separate.

Key Glory Facts

Launch Vehicle: Taurus 2110
Altitude:Distance from sea level. 705km
Inclination: 98.2°
Local Node:Approximate time, at the equator when vehicle is directly overhead. 1:30 p.m.
Instruments: APS (Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor)
CC (Cloud Camera)
TIM (Total Irradiance Monitor)
Project Scientist(s): Michael Mishchenko
Deputy Project Scientist(s): Ellsworth Judd Welton
Program Scientist(s): Hal Maring

Related Publications:

Relevant Science Focus Areas:

  • Atmospheric Composition
  • Carbon Cycle, Ecosystems, and Biogeochemistry
  • Climate Variability and Change
  • Water and Energy Cycles

Relevant Science Questions:

  • How does the Earth system respond to natural and human-induced changes?
  • How is the global Earth system changing?
  • How will the Earth system change in the future?

Science Goals:

  • Use data collected on the optical, microphysical, and chemical properties of aerosols and clouds to analyze aerosols and aerosol-cloud interactions.
  • Measure total solar irradiance for long-term climate studies.

Related Applications:

  • Air Quality
  • Carbon Management
  • Ecological Forecasting
  • Invasive Species
  • Public Health