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Terra is the flagship of the Earth Observing
System, a series of spacecraft that represent the next landmark step in NASA's
role to observe Earth from the unique vantage point of space. Focused of key
measurements identified by a consensus of U.S. and international scientists, Terra enables new research into the ways that Earth's lands, oceans, air, ice, and life function as a total environmental system. Terra was launched into sun-synchronous Earth orbit on December 18, 1999.
Terra carries five scientific instruments: ASTER,
CERES, MISR,
MODIS, and
MOPITT. You can learn more
about this mission at the Terra web site.
Specifications of the Terra Spacecraft
| Launch date: |
December 1999 |
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| Orbit: |
705 km altitude, sun-synchronous, so that at any
given latitude it crosses directly overhead at the same
time each day. |
| Orbit inclination: |
98.3 degrees from the Equator |
| Orbit period: |
98.88 minutes |
| Equator crossing: |
10.30 a.m. (north to south) |
| Ground track repeat cycle: |
16 days, i.e. every 16 days (or 233 orbits) the pattern of orbits repeats itself |
| Builder: |
Lockheed Martin |
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