Terra

Mission Profile

Terra (EOS AM-1) is NASA's flagship Earth observing satellite, launched on 18 December 1999 aboard an Atlas IIAS as the first of the Earth Observing System's major platforms and the centerpiece of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth initiative. Carrying five instruments — ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS, and MOPITT — Terra simultaneously measures clouds, aerosols, land surface temperature, vegetation, and atmospheric trace gases to characterize Earth as an integrated physical and biological system. In operation for over 25 years, Terra provides some of the longest continuous satellite records of climate variables including global temperatures, snow cover, and atmospheric carbon monoxide. Together with its companion Aqua satellite, Terra forms the backbone of NASA's Earth observation infrastructure and has contributed to thousands of scientific publications on climate change, natural disasters, and environmental monitoring.