Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols

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Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols
Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols.jpg
Mission typeEarth observation
OperatorJet Propulsion Laboratory
Websitehttps://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/multi-angle-imager-for-aerosols-maia
Start of mission
Launch date2022 (planned)[1]
RocketFirefly Alpha[2]
Launch siteVandenberg SLC-2W
ContractorFirefly Aerospace
Orbital parameters
RegimeLow Earth Orbit
Earth System Science Pathfinder[3]
 

The Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) is an instrument currently in development to support an investigation aimed at understanding the linkages between different types of airborne particles and human health.[4] MAIA's twin-camera instrument will make radiometric and polarimetric measurements needed to characterize the sizes, compositions and quantities of particulate matter in air pollution. As part of the MAIA investigation, researchers will combine MAIA measurements with population health records to better understand the connections between aerosol pollutants and health problems such as adverse birth outcomes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and premature deaths.[1][5]

The MAIA instrument measures the radiance and polarization of sunlight scattered by atmospheric aerosols, from which the abundance and characteristics of ground-level particulate matter (PM) are derived. The instrument contains a pushbroom spectropolarimetric camera on a two-axis gimbal for multiangle viewing, frequent target revisits, and inflight calibration.[1]

The MAIA instrument is being developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). David Diner is the principal investigator. MAIA is a Venture-class investigation within NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program,[3] selected from NASA’s third Earth Venture Instrument competition.[3][5]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols". NASA JPL. Retrieved 6 August 2020. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "General Atomics Awards Contract to Firefly Aerospace Inc. to Launch NASA's Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols Mission". General Atomics (Press release). 18 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP)". NASA. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Earth Science: Projects". JPL Science. NASA JPL. Retrieved 13 October 2018. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ a b "NASA Selects Instruments to Study Air Pollution, Tropical Cyclones". NASA Earth. NASA. March 10, 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
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