WEBVTT

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[dramatic percussion music]

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- HI,
AND WELCOME TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST, JUSTIN GARCIA.

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INNOVATION IS INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT TO NEW DISCOVERIES.

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BUT YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD
THE OLD SAYING

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"IF IT AIN'T BROKE,
DON'T FIX IT."

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SO JUST HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN
TO USE WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE

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AND WHEN TO START
WITH SOMETHING NEW?

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WELL, A TEAM AT NASA
HAS THE ANSWER,

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AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES
TO A SERIES

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OF VERY SUCCESSFUL
EARTH-OBSERVING INSTRUMENTS.

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SAGE, OR THE STRATOSPHERIC
AEROSOL AND GAS EXPERIMENT,

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IS AN INSTRUMENT THAT SCIENTISTS
HAVE USED

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SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THE 1970s

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TO LEARN ABOUT
EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

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OF COURSE, THE ENGINEERS ARE
CONSTANTLY MODIFYING THE DESIGN

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AND UPDATING THE TECHNOLOGY.

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BUT THE SAME BASIC INSTRUMENT
HAS BEEN USED ALL THESE YEARS.

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YOU SEE, MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO,

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SCIENTISTS REALIZED
THERE WAS A PROBLEM

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WITH THE EARTH'S PROTECTIVE COAT
OF OZONE.

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IT WAS THINNING.

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THE SAGE FAMILY OF INSTRUMENTS
WAS PIVOTAL

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IN MAKING ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS
OF THE AMOUNT OF OZONE LOSS

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IN EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

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AND THEN,
WHEN INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS

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TO REVERSE THE LOSS OF OZONE
WERE ENACTED,

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SAGE ALSO PLAYED A KEY ROLE
IN MEASURING THE OZONE RECOVERY.

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OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS,

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SAGE TECHNOLOGY HAS SHED LIGHT
ON HOW AEROSOLS, WATER VAPORS,

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AND OTHER GASES INTERACT WITH
AND AFFECT OUR ATMOSPHERE.

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TODAY SAGE IS STILL THE BEST
FOR THE JOB,

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AND NASA SCIENTISTS
ARE PREPARING TO SEND

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THE THIRD GENERATION
OF THE INSTRUMENT INTO SPACE.

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HOWEVER, NOT JUST ANY SPACECRAFT
WILL DO FOR SAGE III.

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SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN
KEEPING IT SAFE,

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WAITING FOR THE DAY
THAT IT COULD GO

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WHERE NO CONTINUOUS
EARTH-OBSERVING INSTRUMENT

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HAS GONE BEFORE:

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THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

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- WELL, FOR THE SCIENTISTS,
IT'S GREAT,

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BECAUSE THE ORBIT THAT IT'S IN
ALLOWS US TO TAKE SCIENCE

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BETWEEN AROUND MINUS 60
TO PLUS 60 DEGREES.

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SO THAT'S QUITE A MAJOR RANGE
OF DATA

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THAT THE SCIENTISTS CAN GET,
ESPECIALLY IN THE EQUATOR,

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WHICH IS GREAT
FOR THE SCIENTISTS.

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OPERATIONAL-WISE,
IT'S GREAT FOR US

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BECAUSE WE'RE ALLOWED TO TALK--

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OR COMMUNICATE WITH THE PAYLOAD
ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY,

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WHICH YOU GENERALLY CAN'T DO
FOR MOST SATELLITES.

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- THE SPACE STATION IN ORBIT

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HAS A SPECIFIC DIRECTION
THAT IT POINTS.

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THEY CALL IT THE YAW,
PITCH, AND ROLL,

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SO THE THREE DIRECTIONS
THAT MOVE.

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BECAUSE IT'S SUCH
A LARGE STRUCTURE

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AND IT'S GOT A LOT OF THINGS
THAT IT'S TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH,

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THAT ATTITUDE, THOSE YAW, PITCH,
AND ROLL NUMBERS

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CHANGE OVER THE COURSE
OF WEEKS, MONTHS, AND YEARS.

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SO BECAUSE OURS WAS DESIGNED
TO POINT AT THE EARTH

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THE WHOLE TIME,
WE NEEDED SOME WAY

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TO BE ABLE TO CORRECT THAT,
THOSE CHANGES

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AND GET OUR INSTRUMENT
POINTED BACK

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IN THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.

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- YOU'RE ORIENTED SO THAT
THIS IS FACING EARTH.

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AND OUR SCAN HEAD CAN ACCOUNT
FOR THIS DIRECTION,

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BUT IF THERE ARE
ANY DISCREPANCIES

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IN HOW THE ISS IS ORIENTED,

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THE HEXAPOD, WHICH IS THIS GUY
IN THE BLUE,

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CAN HELP ORIENT YOUR SCAN HEAD
IN AZIMUTH AND ELEVATION

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SO YOU'RE POINTING
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

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- SAGE III WILL BE
THE FIRST CONTINUOUS

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EARTH-OBSERVING INSTRUMENT
EVER TO GRACE THE ISS.

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BUT SOMETHING ELSE
MAKES THIS SAGE

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DIFFERENT THAN THE REST:

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ITS USE OF THE MOON.

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- YOU TAKE OBSERVATIONS
WITH SUN--

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WITH SOLAR OCCULTATION

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ONLY WHERE YOU SEE SUNRISE
AND SUNSET,

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SO NOW IF YOU CAN TAKE MOONRISE
AND MOONSET,

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YOU'VE BASICALLY, IN SOME SENSE,

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KIND OF DOUBLED
YOUR MEASUREMENT CAPABILITY.

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BUT YOU CAN ALSO PROBE
DIFFERENT PLACES

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IN DIFFERENT TIMES.

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THE LUNAR OCCULTATIONS
ONLY OCCUR

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AT A LOCAL NIGHTTIME CONDITION,

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SO WITH THE SUNRISE/SUNSET
WITH SOLAR OCCULTATION,

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YOU'RE SEEING IT AT SUNRISE
AND SUNSET.

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WITH LUNAR OCCULTATION,
YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE NIGHTTIME.

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AND MANY OF THE GASES
IN THE STRATOSPHERE

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HAVE CYCLES TO THEM.

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FOR EXAMPLE, NITROGEN TRIOXIDE,
NO3,

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IS ONLY PRESENT REALLY
IN CONCENTRATIONS AT NIGHTTIME,

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BUT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT

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TO UNDERSTAND
THE CHEMICAL BALANCES GOING ON.

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- SAGE IS ONE OF NASA'S
LONGEST-RUNNING

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EARTH-OBSERVING PROGRAMS.

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AND WE KNOW THAT LONG-TERM
COLLECTION OF THIS TYPE OF DATA

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IS NECESSARY TO TRULY UNDERSTAND

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BOTH THE FRAGILITY
AND COMPLEXITY

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OF OUR ATMOSPHERE.

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TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PHOTO.

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THAT THIN BLUE LINE,
THAT'S EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

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THIS IMAGE REALLY SHOWS JUST
HOW DELICATE OUR ATMOSPHERE IS.

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NOT ONLY WILL SAGE III
HELP US UNDERSTAND MORE

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ABOUT OUR TENUOUS ATMOSPHERE
AND OZONE,

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BUT IT CAN ALSO HELP US
UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT

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THAT HUMAN ACTIVITIES HAVE
ON EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE,

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INFORMATION THAT MAY PROVE VITAL

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AS WE LOOK TO SOLVE
THE CHALLENGES

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OF EARTH'S CHANGING CLIMATE.

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UNTIL NEXT TIME,
I'M JUSTIN GARCIA.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING.