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After a decade, TOPEX/Poseidon adventure sails on NASA NEWS RELEASE Posted: August 14, 2002
TOPEX/Poseidon, a joint NASA-French Space Agency mission to study ocean circulation and its effect on climate, turned 10 on Saturday. Some 46,763 orbits after launch on an Ariane 42P rocket from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, this spacecraft, designed to fly three to five years, continues to precisely map the surface height of 95 percent of Earth's ice-free oceans every 10 days. In doing so, it has revolutionized the study of Earth's oceans. Best known for its ability to monitor the progress of large-scale ocean phenomena like El Nino, La Nina and a long-term ocean feature called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation that waxes and wanes every 20 to 30 years, this longest-running Earth-orbiting radar mission has amassed some impressive achievements. Its continuous data on sea surface height, wind speed and wave height have given us a new understanding of how ocean circulation affects climate. The satellite provides input for long-term climate forecasting and prediction models. TOPEX/Poseidon produced the first global views of seasonal current changes. It maps year-to-year changes in upper- ocean heat storage. The satellite has improved our understanding of tides, producing the world's most precise global tidal maps and demystifying deep-ocean tides and their effect on ocean circulation. It monitors global mean sea-level changes, an effective indicator of the consequence of global temperature change. Its data are input into atmospheric models for forecasting hurricane seasons and individual storm severity. And the satellite has improved our knowledge of Earth's gravity field. "TOPEX/Poseidon has revolutionized the ocean sciences," said Dr. Lee- Lueng Fu, TOPEX/ Poseidon project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif. "For the first time, the great pulse of the oceans -- ocean eddies, seasonal cycles and year-to-year climate signals -- has been mapped with unprecedented accuracy, yielding fundamentally important information for testing ocean circulation models." "TOPEX/Poseidon data help forecast short-term changes in weather and longer-term climate patterns," said JPL oceanographer Dr. William Patzert. "Ocean currents flow around highs and lows of oceanic pressure, distributing the Sun's heat across the globe and releasing It back into the atmosphere as water vapor, which is returned to the oceans and land as rain or snow. Understanding the oceans' behavior is the key to forecasting climate change." Nearly 400 science users worldwide apply TOPEX/Poseidon's data in a variety of ways. Fishermen use the data, along with sea-surface temperature imagery, to locate fish. Satellite altimetry is used to identify key habitats for other marine animals, which can then be tracked and studied. Maps from TOPEX/Poseidon data help sailors and commercial ships chart their courses. Offshore oil operators and cable- laying vessels use knowledge of ocean circulation patterns to minimize impacts from strong currents. Marine biologists use the data to monitor and assess coral-reef ecosystems sensitive to ocean temperature changes. The mission can even track ocean debris. Jason, TOPEX/Poseidon's follow-on, was launched December 7, 2001, carrying updated versions of the same instruments. That joint U.S.- French mission, which will continue building a long-term database, is currently in a six-month scientific validation phase. TOPEX/Poseidon's longevity has given scientists the opportunity to fly Jason in a parallel orbit, doubling the amount of data now being collected. The tandem mission will enable improved detection of ocean eddies, coastal tides and currents. Planning for TOPEX/Poseidon began in 1979, when NASA started planning the TOPEX mission, while the French Space Agency was planning Poseidon. The two agencies formed a single mission in 1983. JPL manages the U.S. portion of TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason for NASA's
Earth Science Enterprise. JPL is a division of the California Institute
of Technology in Pasadena. Research on the Earth's oceans using
TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason and other space-based capabilities is
conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and
protect our home planet.
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Apollo 15 DVD - offer ends soon For a limited time only, preorder your Apollo 15 DVDs at a special discount price. Two- and six-disc editions of this unique DVD are coming soon.Hubble Astronomy Now presents Hubble: the space telescope's view of the cosmos. A collection of the best images from the world’s premier space observatory. Gemini 7: The NASA Mission Reports covers this 14-day mission by Borman and Lovell as they demonstrated some of the more essential facts of space flight. Includes CD-ROM.Expedition 20 The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 20 crew is now available from our stores.Current Shuttle Mission Patch The official embroidered patch for shuttle Atlantis' flight to deliver critical spare equipment to the space station.![]() Ares Patch The Ares Project will develop two new rockets to launch astronauts back to the Moon under NASA's Vision for Exploration. The Ares 1 will employ a single space shuttle solid rocket booster to loft the Orion crew capsule. The gigantic Ares 5 will haul the equipment and cargo needed for such lunar voyages. This is the Ares emblem.One Giant Leap
Hosted by Corbin Bernsen, this award winning documentary marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. space agency and features exclusive interviews with veteran astronauts.Expedition 21 The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 21 crew is now available from our stores.Apollo 11 special patch Special collectors' patch marking the 35th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing is now available.U.S. - U.K. Apollo 12 tribute DVD set ![]() New! Featuring the jovial crew of Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean, the Apollo 12 mission was struck by lightning shortly after liftoff but proceeded on the second successful exploration voyage to the lunar surface. This three-disc DVD brings the mission to life with extraordinary detail. U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide Fallen Heroes special patch This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide Women in Space Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier is for girls, young women, and anyone else interested in learning about exciting careers in space exploration. Includes CD-ROM.U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide Mars rover poster This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.U.S. Station Calendar
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