Rocket Lab's Electron rocket successfully launched NASA's PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission's first satellite from Māhia, New Zealand at 7:41 p.m. NZST on May 25, 2024. The small satellite, carried by the Electron rocket, aims to gather crucial data on the heat radiation emitted by the Arctic and Antarctica into space, and its impact on global climate.

The PREFIRE mission consists of a pair of shoebox-size cube satellites, or CubeSats, designed to measure the amount of heat Earth radiates into space from these remote and extremely cold regions. By studying heat emissions, researchers hope to improve predictions regarding sea ice loss, ice sheet melting, and sea level rise, and to enhance understanding of how our planet's system will change in the future.

Stressing the significance of the PREFIRE mission, Karen St. Germain, director of NASA's Earth Science Division, stated, "NASA's innovative PREFIRE mission will fill a gap in our understanding of the Earth system - providing our scientists a detailed picture of how Earth's polar regions influence how much energy our planet absorbs and releases. This will improve the prediction of sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea-level rise, crucial information for various sectors such as agriculture, fishing, and coastal communities."

Ground controllers established successful communications with the CubeSat at 8:48 a.m. EDT, marking a major milestone for the mission. The second CubeSat, which is part of the PREFIRE mission, is scheduled to be launched in the coming days using another Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1.

The CubeSats are equipped with thermal infrared spectrometers, which use specially shaped mirrors and sensors to measure infrared wavelengths. These instruments will enable researchers to collect data on far-infrared radiation from the polar regions. Currently, there is a lack of detailed measurements for this type of energy. Data collected from the PREFIRE mission will allow scientists to understand where and when far-infrared energy radiates into space from the Arctic and Antarctic environments.

Tristan L'Ecuyer, PREFIRE's principal investigator from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, highlighted the importance of the mission in understanding the consequences of climate change. "Our planet is changing quickly, and in places like the Arctic, in ways that people have never experienced before," he said. "NASA's PREFIRE will give us new measurements of the far-infrared wavelengths being emitted from Earth's poles, which we can use to improve climate and weather models and help people around the world deal with the consequences of climate change."

Following a 30-day checkout period to ensure the CubeSats are operating normally, the PREFIRE mission is expected to operate for 10 months, providing valuable insights into Earth's energy budget and contributing to better climate change predictions.

The PREFIRE mission was jointly developed by NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory overseeing the mission management. The CubeSats were built by Blue Canyon Technologies, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison will process the data collected by the instruments.

The successful launch of the first satellite marks an important step towards expanding our understanding of polar heat emissions and their impact on global climate. The data collected through NASA's PREFIRE mission will contribute to more accurate predictions and help mitigate the effects of climate change on our planet.