EMIT Loaded Into SpaceX Falcon 9 Trunk Before Transport

The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission instrument (right) sits in the "trunk" that will travel aboard SpaceX's 25th cargo resupply mission – planned for June 7, 2022 – to the International Space Station. This image was taken May 3, 2022, at SpaceX's Dragonland facility in Florida. Developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, EMIT will map the world's mineral-dust sources, gathering information about particle color and composition as it orbits over the planet's dry, sparsely vegetated regions. After being mounted on the space station, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. The white covering will prevent the spread of the heat the instrument generates, keeping it from affecting the space station and nearby instruments. EMIT will be one of two pieces of equipment transported to the space station in the external cargo "trunk" on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The other (left) is a Battery Charge/Discharge Unit. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25148

EMIT Inside SpaceX Falcon 9 Trunk Ahead of Transport

The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission instrument (left) sits in the "trunk" that will travel aboard SpaceX's 25th cargo resupply mission – planned for June 7, 2022 – to the International Space Station. This image was taken May 3, 2022, at SpaceX's Dragonland facility in Florida. Developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, EMIT will map the world's mineral-dust sources, gathering information about particle color and composition as it orbits over the planet's dry, sparsely vegetated regions. After being mounted on the space station, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. The mirror-like side radiator panels are designed to keep the instrument's interior electronics and optics at a low enough temperature to work optimally. The white covering will prevent the spread of the heat the instrument generates, keeping it from affecting the space station and nearby instruments. EMIT will be one of two pieces of equipment transported to the space station in the external cargo "trunk" on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The other (left) is a Battery Charge/Discharge Unit. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25149

EMIT Instrument's First Light

This image shows the first measurements taken by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) from aboard the International Space Station at 7:51 p.m. PDT (10:51 p.m. EDT) on July 27, 2022, as it passed over western Australia. The image at the front of the cube shows a mix of materials in western Australia, including exposed soil (brown), vegetation (dark green), agricultural fields (light green), a small river, and clouds. The rainbow colors extending through the main part of the cube are the wavelengths of light (in nanometers), or spectral fingerprints, from corresponding spots in the front image. The line graph (Figure 1) shows spectral fingerprints for a sample of soil, vegetation, and a river from the image cube. Radiance indicates the amount of each wavelength of light reflected from a substance. Researchers use the combination of radiance and wavelength to determine a substance's spectral fingerprint. Developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, EMIT works by measuring the hundreds of wavelengths of light reflected from materials on Earth. Different substances reflect different wavelengths of light, producing a kind of spectral fingerprint that, when collected by an imaging spectrometer and analyzed by researchers, reveal what they are made of. When science operations begin later in August 2022, EMIT's primary mission will be to collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals in regions between 50-degrees south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The minerals include hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum. The compositional data EMIT collects will help scientists study the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. Data from EMIT will be delivered to the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for use by other researchers and the public. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24529

NASA's EMIT Measures Surface Dust in North Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia

This image shows locations in parts of North Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia observed by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT). Each blue box is a "scene" the instrument, which is aboard the International Space Station, has captured. The red box indicates where the instrument recently gathered data on three minerals in a location in southwest Libya, in the Sahara Desert. Installed on the space station in July 2022, EMIT orbits Earth about once every 90 minutes to map the world's mineral-dust sources, gathering information about surface composition as the instrument completes about 16 orbits per day. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25429

EMIT Instrument's First Light

The mineral map shows an area of southwestern Libya in the Sahara Desert observed by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission as it maps the world's mineral dust sources, gathering information about surface composition as the instrument, designed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, orbits aboard the International Space Station. The instrument works by measuring reflected solar energy from Earth across hundreds of wavelengths from the visible to the infrared range of the spectrum. The intensity of the reflected light varies by wavelength based on the material. Scientists are using these patterns, called spectral fingerprints, to identify surface minerals and pinpoint their locations on a map. The map is among the first produced by scientists with EMIT data. Analysis of the patterns indicate that the surface contains kaolinite, a light-colored clay mineral, and goethite and hematite, two varieties of iron oxide, which is darker. When dust from the kaolinite-dominated areas is lofted into the atmosphere, the particles tend to scatter sunlight and reflect it back to space, cooling the air. The opposite effect occurs with airborne particles of iron oxide, which tend to absorb heat and warm the surrounding air. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. EMIT was developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California. It launched to the space station in July 2022. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25424

NASA's EMIT Mission Generates Image Cube of Surface Minerals in Southwestern Libya

The front panel of this image cube features the true-color view of an area in southwest Libya observed by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) imaging spectrometer, which orbits the planet aboard the International Space Station. The side panels depict the spectral fingerprint for every point in the image, which shows an area about 500 miles (800 kilometers) south of Tripoli. The instrument works by measuring reflected solar energy from Earth across hundreds of wavelengths, from the visible to the infrared range of the spectrum. The intensity of the reflected light varies by wavelength based on the material. Scientists use these patterns, called spectral fingerprints, to identify surface minerals and pinpoint their locations on a map. The cube is among the first created by scientists with EMIT data. Analysis of the patterns indicated that the surface contains kaolinite, a light-colored clay mineral, and goethite and hematite, two varieties of iron oxide, which is darker. When dust from the kaolinite-dominated areas is lofted into the atmosphere, the particles tend to scatter sunlight and reflect it back to space, cooling the air. The opposite effect occurs with airborne particles of iron oxide, which tend to absorb heat and warm the surrounding air. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25430

NASA's EMIT Generates Image Cube of Surface Minerals in Northwest Nevada

The front panel of this image cube shows the true-color view of an area in northwest Nevada observed by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) imaging spectrometer. The side panels depict the spectral fingerprint for every point in the image, which shows an area about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northeast of Lake Tahoe. The instrument works by measuring reflected solar energy from Earth across hundreds of wavelengths from the visible to the infrared range of the spectrum. The intensity of the reflected light varies by wavelength based on the material. Scientists are using these patterns, called spectral fingerprints, to identify surface minerals and pinpoint their locations on a map. The cube was among the first created by EMIT scientists as they confirmed that the instrument was collecting data accurately before the start of science operations. Analysis of the patterns indicate areas dominated by kaolinite, a light-colored clay mineral. When dust from the kaolinite-dominated areas is lofted into the atmosphere, the particles tend to scatter sunlight and reflect it back to space, cooling the air. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. Since EMIT was installed on the International Space Station in late July 2022, the science team has been validating the data it collects against data gathered in 2018 by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). EMIT and AVIRIS were developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25427

NASA's EMIT Mission Produces Maps of Arid Region Surface Minerals

Scientists on NASA's EMIT mission used data from its powerful imaging spectrometer, developed at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to map the presence and geographic distributions of three key minerals in the planet's arid regions. The three substances – hematite, goethite, and kaolinite – are thought to have an effect on atmospheric and surface temperatures when wind lofts them into the air, forming dust storms. The data, collected over the course of a year ending in November 2023, was used to create this map. Red represents hematite, green goethite, and blue kaolinite. Magenta indicates regions with hematite and kaolinite, while yellow shows areas that hematite and goethite, and cyan signifies locations with goethite and kaolinite. White indicates the presence of all three, and black signifies portions of the study area that contain none of them. In total, EMIT – short for the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation – is mapping 10 minerals as part of its prime mission. In addition to hematite, goethite, and kaolinite, it is also monitoring illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum. Launched to the International Space Station in July 2022, EMIT was developed in response to the need for more detailed surface mineral composition information to advance climate science. Researchers know that darker, iron oxide-rich substances, such as hematite and goethite, absorb the Sun's energy and warm the surrounding air, while non-iron-based, whiter substances like kaolinite reflect light and heat, cooling the air. Whether those effects have a net warming or cooling impact, however, has remained uncertain. The missing piece has been the composition – the color, essentially – of the surface in the places dust typically originates. To date, the mission has captured more than 55,000 "scenes" – 50-by-50-mile (80-by-80-kilometer) images of the surface – in its study area, which includes arid regions within a 6,900-mile-wide (11,000-kilometer-wide) belt between 51.6 degrees north and south latitude. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26116

NASA's EMIT Collects Mineral Maps, Spectral Fingerprints From Nevada

Since NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) imaging spectrometer was installed on the International Space Station in late July 2022, the EMIT science team has been validating its data against data gathered in 2018 by NASA's Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). EMIT recently collected data from a mountainous area of Nevada about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northeast of Lake Tahoe. The instrument measures reflected solar energy from Earth across hundreds of wavelengths from the visible to the infrared range of the spectrum. The intensity of the reflected light varies by wavelength based on the material. Scientists use these patterns, called spectral fingerprints, to pinpoint the locations of surface minerals on a map. The top left map shows the region both the EMIT and AVIRIS data sets cover. The center image is a mineral map featuring AVIRIS data. At right is a map generated with EMIT data. The center and right images reveal portions of the landscape dominated by kaolinite, a light-colored clay mineral that scatters sunlight. This comparison, which shows a close match of the data, was one of many that confirmed the accuracy of EMIT's data. The bottom row features an AVIRIS spectral fingerprint, left, beside EMIT data for the same location. The graphs show agreement in the kaolinite fingerprint region, which is marked in blue. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25428

EMIT Spots Methane Hotspots

A plume of methane – a potent greenhouse gas about 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide – is detected flowing from an area southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, in an image that uses data from NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission. The 2-mile (3.3-kilometer) long plume originates in an area known as the Permian Basin, which spans parts of southeastern New Mexico and western Texas and is one of the largest oilfields in the world. EMIT uses an imaging spectrometer to detect the unique pattern of reflected and absorbed light – called a spectral fingerprint – from various materials on Earth's surface and in its atmosphere. Perched on the International Space Station, EMIT was originally intended to map the prevalence of minerals in Earth's arid regions, such as the deserts of Africa and Australia. Scientists verified that EMIT could also detect methane and carbon dioxide when they were checking the accuracy of the image spectrometer's mineral data. The data for these images was collected by EMIT in August 2022. Scientists estimate flow rates of 20.2 tons (18.3 metric tons) per hour at the Permian site, 55.6 tons (50.4 metric tons) per hour in total for the Turkmenistan sources, and 9.4 tons (8.5 metric tons) per hour at the Iran site. While quite large, these emission rates are broadly consistent with previous studies of locations like the Permian Basin, as well as emission source types like landfills. The Turkmenistan example has a similar magnitude to the 2015 Aliso Canyon Blowout. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25592

EMIT Identifying Methane Plumes Around the Globe

NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) detected a cluster of 12 methane plumes on Sept. 1, 2022, in an approximately 150-square-mile (400-square-kilometer) region of southern Uzbekistan. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas about 80 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide during the time methane spends in the atmosphere, which is typically about a decade. This an area no NASA airborne imaging spectrometers have covered. Whereas EMIT captured the scene in an instant, an airborne campaign might have taken about 65 hours of flight time to cover the same amount of land. The blue shading covers the area captured by EMIT in one "scene," which is 50 miles by 50 miles (80 kilometers by 80 kilometers). The emissions total about 49,734 pounds (22,559 kilograms) per hour. EMIT uses an imaging spectrometer to detect the unique pattern of reflected and absorbed light – called a spectral fingerprint – from various materials on Earth's surface and in its atmosphere. Perched on the International Space Station, EMIT was originally intended to map the prevalence of minerals in Earth's arid regions, such as the deserts of Africa and Australia. Scientists verified that EMIT could also detect methane and carbon dioxide when they were checking the accuracy of the image spectrometer's mineral data. EMIT was selected from the Earth Venture Instrument-4 solicitation under the Earth Science Division of NASA Science Mission Directorate and was developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California. It launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022. The instrument's data will be delivered to the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for use by other researchers and the public. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26113

EMIT Methane Spectral Fingerprint

Produced with data from NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission, this image uses two different ways of displaying methane's unique pattern of absorbed infrared light – called a spectral fingerprint. This potent greenhouse gas is estimated to be 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. EMIT uses an imaging spectrometer to detect the spectral fingerprints of various materials on Earth's surface and in its atmosphere. Installed on the International Space Station in July 2022, EMIT was originally intended to map the prevalence of minerals in Earth's arid regions, such as the deserts of Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Scientists verified that EMIT could also detect the spectral fingerprints of methane and carbon dioxide exceptionally well when they were checking the accuracy of the image spectrometer's mineral data. The left panel shows an EMIT data cube that spans an area of Turkmenistan roughly 2,500 square miles (6,400 square kilometers). The rainbow colors extending through the data cube represent the spectral fingerprints from each location within the scene at the front of the cube. The purple, orange, and yellow streaks shown on the satellite image represent multiple methane plumes; the colors correspond to differing concentrations of methane. The line graph on the right displays the methane spectral fingerprint measured by EMIT (blue line). The red line displays the expected spectral fingerprint for methane calculated using an atmospheric simulation. The data for this image was collected by EMIT in August 2022. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25593

NASA/SpaceX CRS-25 Climate Conversation Briefing

Rob Green, JPL senior research scientist and EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) principal investigator, participates in a climate conversation at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.

NASA/SpaceX CRS-25 Climate Conversation Briefing

Rob Green, JPL senior research scientist and EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) principal investigator, participates in a climate conversation at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.

NASA/SpaceX CRS-25 Climate Conversation Briefing

A climate conversation is held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. Participants, from left are Moderator Tylar Greene, NASA Communications; Kate Calvin, NASA’s chief scientist and climate advisor; Heidi Parris, associate scientist, International Space Station Program; Mike Roberts, chief scientist, ISS National Lab; Rob Green, JPL senior research scientist and EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) principal investigator; and Paula do Vale Pereira, BeaverCube, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.

NASA/SpaceX CRS-25 Climate Conversation Briefing

A climate conversation is held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. Participants, from left are Moderator Tylar Greene, NASA Communications; Kate Calvin, NASA’s chief scientist and climate advisor; Heidi Parris, associate scientist, International Space Station Program; Mike Roberts, chief scientist, ISS National Lab; Rob Green, JPL senior research scientist and EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) principal investigator; and Paula do Vale Pereira, BeaverCube, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.

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iss067e191368 (July 24, 2022) --- At right, the Canadarm2 robotic arm maneuvers the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation, or EMIT, after retrieving it from the trunk of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft. EMIT was installed on ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-1 (top center) on the port side of the International Space Station's truss structure. The station's main solar arrays are also seen extending from the port truss segment. EMIT is a mineral dust source observation experiment that explores the Earth’s mineral dust cycle.

Global Mineral Dust Source Regions to Be Measured by EMIT

From its vantage point aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission will map the world's mineral-dust sources, gathering information about particle color and composition as the instrument, designed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, orbits over the planet's dry, sparsely vegetated regions. EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25145

EMIT's Components Come Together at JPL

Engineers and technicians at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California assemble components of the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission instrument in December 2021. The upper portion consists of EMIT's optical subsystem, including a telescope and imaging spectrometer, while the baseplate below holds electronics. EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25146

NASA's EMIT Scans the Amazon River in Northern Brazil

NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) collected this hyperspectral image of the Amazon River in the northern Brazilian state of Pará on June 30, 2024. The tan and yellow colors represent vegetated land, while the blue and turquoise hues signify water. Clouds are white. This image is part of a new dataset providing new information on global ecosystem biodiversity. EMIT, installed on the International Space Station in 2022, was originally tasked with mapping minerals over Earth's desert regions to help determine the cooling and heating effects that dust can have on regional and global climate. Since early 2024 the instrument has been on an extended mission in which its data is being used in research on a diverse range of topics including agricultural practices, snow hydrology, wildflower blooming, phytoplankton and carbon dynamics in inland waters, ecosystem biodiversity, and functional traits of forests. Imaging spectrometers like EMIT detect the light reflected from Earth and then separate visible and infrared light into hundreds of wavelength bands. Scientists use patterns of reflection and absorption at different wavelengths to determine the composition of whatever the instrument is observing. EMIT is laying the groundwork for NASA's future Surface Biology and Geology-Visible Shortwave Infrared satellite mission. SBG-VSWIR will cover Earth's land and coasts more frequently than EMIT, with finer spatial resolution. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26417

NASA's EMIT Collects Data on Mid-Atlanic Plant Communities

Data collected by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) on April 23, 2024, indicates the location of a variety of planet communites across a swath of the mid-Atlantic United States. Overlain on a Google base map, each color represents a different type of natural biome or agricultural land. Hyperspectral data such as this is being analyzed in a range of NASA-funded research projects looking at the distribution and traits of plant communities, including agricultural crops. EMIT, installed on the International Space Station in 2022, was originally tasked with mapping minerals over Earth's desert regions to help determine the cooling and heating effects that dust can have on regional and global climate. Since early 2024 the instrument has been on an extended mission in which its data is being used in research on a diverse range of topics including agricultural practices, snow hydrology, wildflower blooming, phytoplankton and carbon dynamics in inland waters, ecosystem biodiversity, and functional traits of forests. Imaging spectrometers like EMIT detect the light reflected from Earth and then separate visible and infrared light into hundreds of wavelength bands. Scientists use patterns of reflection and absorption at different wavelengths to determine the composition of whatever the instrument is observing. EMIT is laying the groundwork for NASA's future Surface Biology and Geology-Visible Shortwave Infrared satellite mission. SBG-VSWIR will cover Earth's land and coasts more frequently than EMIT, with finer spatial resolution. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26418

EMIT Put to the Test at JPL

Diane Hope, Charlene Ung, and Cathryn Murray-Wooddell oversee preparations for vibration testing of the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) science instrument at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in October 2021. The testing simulates the accelerations and vibrations the instrument will experience during its launch to the International Space Station. Hope is the EMIT mission manager at the NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder Program Office (ESSPPO), Ung is EMIT's project manager at JPL, and Murray-Wooddell is a program analyst from ESSPPO. EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects using its telescope and imaging spectrometer will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. EMIT was developed at JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California. It is set to launch in June 2022 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the ISS aboard SpaceX's 25th commercial resupply mission. Once EMIT begins operation, its data will be delivered to the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for use by other researchers and the public. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25150

NASA/SpaceX CRS-25 Liftoff

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule soars upward after lifting off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022, on the company’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

NASA/SpaceX CRS-25 Liftoff

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule soars upward after lifting off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022, on the company’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.