NASA Announced its Earth Observing Research Mission

The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of USA announced on 20 January 2011 its earth-observing research mission, named as Glory mission, which is scheduled to be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on 23 February 2011.NASA's Glory is a low Earth orbit scientific research satellite mission which can increase our understanding of the Earth's energy balance.The Glory mission of NASA is aimed at to improve the understanding of how the sun and tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols affect the climate of the Earth. The mission also seeks to address the uncertainties about climate change.

According to the NASA plan, the Glory mission will join a fleet called the Afternoon Constellation or A train of satellites which also includes Aqua and Aura spacecrafts. Glory will fly in a low-Earth orbit altitude of 704.9 km.

The Glory mission has two primary instruments, the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM) and the Aerosol PolarimetrySenor (APS). The APS will help in the measurement of aerosols. This can have an impact on the climate by reflecting and absorbing solar radiation and modifying clouds and precipitation. The Glory mission by NASA can provide relevant inputs to Climate Change science.