Channel: NASA Goddard

Category: Science & Technology

Tags: orbital driftnasaterragoddard space flight center

Description: In 2020, Terra completed its final inclination maneuver, using some of its limited fuel supply, to maintain that crossing time. Since that final inclination maneuver, Terra has continuously drifted to an earlier equatorial crossing time. To ensure Terra, with limited fuel supplies, is a safe distance from other missions in the Earth Observing Satellite constellation orbit, Terra will be lowered to a new orbit in 2022, where it will be able to collect valuable data at an even earlier crossing time. As Terra’s crossing time creeps earlier, small changes will be noticeable in the data and imagery collected by the instruments aboard Terra. The impact on science is expected to be minimal. In fact, some impacts could prove beneficial to some areas of research, like land morphology, surface temperature, and climate research. Read more: terra.nasa.gov/about/terra-orbital-drift Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio Liz Wilk (KBRwyle): Lead Producer Kel Elkins (USRA): Lead Visualizer Tassia Owen (GST): Lead Project Support Scott Wiessinger (KBRwyle): Narrator Lahouari Bounoua (NASA/GSFC): Scientist Robert E Wolfe (NASA): Scientist Kurtis Thome (NASA): Scientist Dimitrios Mantziaras (NASA): Engineer Jason Hendrickson (KBRwyle): Engineer Music credit: "From Small Beginnings," by Jay Price [PRS]; Universal Production Music This video can be freely shared and downloaded at svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14015. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines. This video is public domain and along with other supporting visualizations can be downloaded from NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio at: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14015 svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4938 If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Goddard YouTube channel: youtube.com/NASAGoddard Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center · Instagram instagram.com/nasagoddard · Twitter twitter.com/NASAGoddard · Twitter twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix · Facebook: facebook.com/NASAGoddard · Flickr flickr.com/photos/gsfc