Rocket Lab's Electron rocket took off from Launch Complex 1 at Māhia, New Zealand on May 25, 2024, carrying a small satellite for NASA's PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission. The mission aims to study heat emissions at Earth's poles.

The PREFIRE mission consists of two cube satellites, or CubeSats, designed to measure the amount of heat Earth radiates into space from the Arctic and Antarctic. These regions, known for their extreme cold and remoteness, play a crucial role in the planet's energy balance.

By collecting data on Earth's energy budget, scientists hope to better predict the changes in Earth's ice, seas, and weather in a warming world. The information will be valuable for a wide range of areas, including agriculture, fishing, and coastal communities planning for future resilience.

Ground controllers successfully established communications with the PREFIRE CubeSat at 8:48 EDT. The second CubeSat is scheduled to launch in the coming days. Engineers and scientists will conduct a 30-day checkout period to ensure both CubeSats are functioning properly. The mission is expected to operate for 10 months.

The CubeSats are equipped with thermal infrared spectrometers, which will measure far-infrared wavelengths emitted from the polar regions. This type of energy is currently not extensively measured, making the PREFIRE mission critical for closing gaps in our understanding of Earth's energy balance.

"NASA's PREFIRE mission 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," said Tristan L'Ecuyer, PREFIRE's principal investigator from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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

Rocket Lab USA Inc., based in Long Beach, California, provided the launch services as part of NASA's Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. The launch was carried out from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand.

As our planet undergoes rapid changes, especially in regions like the Arctic, the PREFIRE mission will provide valuable insights into Earth's energy balance. The data collected from this mission will refine climate and weather models to help us better understand and mitigate the consequences of climate change.