NASA launches satellite to study polar climate change that will be used for fishing

This Saturday, NASA sent out for the first time the first of a pair of climate satellites designed to study thermal radiation at Earth’s poles, which will help with climate change research. The shoebox-sized CubeSats 1 satellite was launched into orbit by an Electron rocket launched from New Zealand as part of the Prefire mission, the US agency said in a statement, explaining that the mission will measure the amount of heat the Earth radiates into space from its two coldest and most distant regions of the planet.

The data collected is expected to help researchers better predict how climate change will affect the Earth’s ice, seas and climate. Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Washington Earth Sciences Division, said the data will help provide a “better understanding” of how our planet’s system will change in the coming years. “(This) information is critical for farmers monitoring climate and water changes, fishing fleets operating in changing seas, and coastal communities increasing their resilience,” he added.