PREFIRE Polar CubeSats (NASA)
Two shoebox-size NASA satellites measure the far-infrared heat that Earth's poles send into space (NASA JPL).
Image: NASA, ISS Expedition 23 crew (iss023e057948).
Last reviewed: 4 sources cited
Explain Like I'm 10
- PREFIRE is two tiny satellites about the size of a shoebox.
- They measure heat leaving the Arctic and Antarctica that our eyes can't see.
- That helps scientists understand melting ice and make better weather forecasts.
The Five W's of PREFIRE
Who
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages PREFIRE and built its spectrometers. Blue Canyon Technologies built the CubeSats and the University of Wisconsin–Madison processes the data.
What
Two CubeSats that measure far-infrared heat, showing how water vapor, clouds and ice trap heat or let it escape to space.
When
Rocket Lab launched the two CubeSats in May and June 2024. NASA extended the mission through at least September 2026.
Where
In near-polar The curved path an object takes as it travels around a planet, moon or star, like a satellite circling Earth. Glossary, sampling the Arctic and Antarctic several times a day. The extended mission widens the view to the whole planet.
Why
Heat absorbed in the tropics flows to the poles and escapes to space there. That balance helps set Earth's temperature and drive weather.
Impact Statement
Agency solution · extended mission
PREFIRE's data are public, and users in more than 17 countries have downloaded them (NASA Earthdata).
Source: NASA Earthdata, First PREFIRE datasets released
For Further Information: NASA JPL, PREFIRE mission extended
Each PREFIRE satellite is a small 6U CubeSat, about the size of a shoebox.
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
PREFIRE's measurements can help improve forecasts, including storm severity and frequency (NASA JPL).
Source: NASA JPL, PREFIRE mission extended
For Nature
By measuring the heat leaving polar ice, snow and clouds, PREFIRE helps scientists understand changes to polar land, ice and ocean.
Get Involved With PREFIRE
Want to go deeper? NASA JPL has the full PREFIRE story.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
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Help This Work
This is a public mission, so there is nothing to donate. You can explore its free data or join a citizen science project.