TEMPO Air Quality Mission (NASA)
From geostationary orbit, NASA's TEMPO measures air pollution over North America every daylight hour, a first from space (NASA).
Image: NASA.
Last reviewed: 2 sources cited
Explain Like I'm 10
- TEMPO is a space tool that checks how dirty the air is.
- It stays above the same spot on Earth and looks at North America every hour while the sun is up.
- This helps warn people on bad air days so they can stay safe.
The Five W's of TEMPO Air Quality Mission (NASA)
Who
NASA, with data processed by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Source: NASA, TEMPO instrument launches
What
TEMPO, a spectrometer that measures air pollutants such as A gas high in the sky that blocks harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun. Near the ground, ozone is a pollutant. Glossary and nitrogen dioxide.
Source: NASA Earthdata, TEMPO
When
Launched April 7, 2023, on the Intelsat 40e satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.
Source: NASA, TEMPO instrument launches
Where
About 22,000 miles above the equator, watching North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Source: NASA Earthdata, TEMPO
Why
Air pollution changes hour by hour, but older satellites passed over only about once a day.
Source: NASA, TEMPO instrument launches
Impact Statement
Agency solution · active
TEMPO is the first space instrument to measure North American air quality every daylight hour, at a resolution of a few square miles instead of about 100 square miles.
Source: NASA, TEMPO instrument launches
For Further Information: NASA, TEMPO instrument launches
NASA's TEMPO checks North America's air pollution every daylight hour from 22,000 miles up.
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
Hourly data can improve air quality alerts and shows rush-hour pollution and smoke from fires moving toward cities.
Source: NASA, TEMPO instrument launches
For Nature
It tracks pollution from forest fires and volcanoes and helps scientists study ozone and the effects of fertilizer.
Source: NASA, TEMPO instrument launches
Want to go deeper? NASA has the full TEMPO story.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
More solutions like this one, matched by meaning.
For Teachers
Discussion questions
- What is TEMPO Air Quality Mission (NASA), and what problem does it help solve?
- Who is behind TEMPO Air Quality Mission (NASA), and where does the work happen?
- How does TEMPO Air Quality Mission (NASA) help both people and nature? Use one fact from this page.
Sources are listed with each fact in the Five W's above.
Cite This Page
APA
Saving Planets. (n.d.). TEMPO Air Quality Mission (NASA). https://www.savingplanets.com/TEMPO.html
MLA
"TEMPO Air Quality Mission (NASA)." Saving Planets, https://www.savingplanets.com/TEMPO.html.