Today's Fight Against Climate Change Is Happening in Space

22/07/2021

Interest and concern for climate change is not a new phenomenon - observations and warning signs were recorded more than 2,000 years ago.

History informs the future It was Aristotle's successor, Theophrastus, who was credited with making the first climate change observations. Dubbed the father of botany, Theophrastus witnessed marsh draining and forest clearing to make way for the burgeoning city of Athens. He theorized that changes to Athens' natural environment directly contributed to the area becoming warmer, sparking a climate change conversation that is still as relevant today as it was in ancient times.

Over the centuries, scientists recorded climate change with the tools of their time, each generation building upon the discoveries of its predecessors. Today, gaining deep insights into the intricacies of climate change on a global level and its relationship to increasingly severe, life-threating weather is a top priority for scientists.

The new age of climate monitoring Modern science is now looking at climate change from a different, more accurate lens - from space. For more than five decades, L3Harris has worked with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to design and build critical weather satellite technology to monitor severe weather and improve daily weather forecasts. Satellites now play one of the most critical roles in the fight against climate change.

If you want to mitigate climate change, you've got to measure it, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in response to President Biden's announcement of a $1 billion budget for extreme weather preparedness. Scientists rely on satellites to monitor near-global climate change indicators like greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ice-melt and temperature - the most fundamental measurement of a changing environment. L3Harris' Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on board NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R Series has revolutionized meteorologists' ability to collect weather, climate, ocean and environmental information. ABI is an especially powerful tool for monitoring severe weather which is a strong indicator of where we are headed with climate change and it's destructive effects.

Instrumental to the fight We often think of weather satellites in terms of its immediate benefit - providing advanced warnings of severe weather - but the data satellites are gathering is helping untangle climate change's complicated web of causations.

L3Harris' Thermal and Near Infrared Sensor for Carbon Observation-Fourier Transform Spectrometer-2 (TANSO-FTS-2) is exploring one of the root causes of climate change - greenhouse gases. TANSO-FTS-2 operates on Japanese Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite-2 (GOSAT-2) and measures carbon dioxide, methane and carbon monoxide. It is so accurate; scientists can use the data to discriminate between natural and man-made emissions.

As TANSO-FTS-2 observes rising greenhouse gas levels, ABI is capturing the effects greenhouse gases have on global warming - unpredictable climate disasters. ABI's ability to scan the Western Hemisphere every 10 minutes, the continental U.S. every five minutes, and localized areas as often as every 30 seconds, has given NOAA unprecedented access to accurate, real-time data on developing weather. Not only does ABI support advanced warnings of climate-driven, deadly weather, it also gives scientists the continuity in data they need to benchmark against the past to inform the future.

We need to continue investing in weather satellite technology, so we can detect fires faster, better predict storm trajectories and accurately monitor changing ecosystems, said Rob Mitrevski, Vice President and General Manager, Space and Airborne Systems. All of that will make us a more weather resilient nation. L3Harris' focus on innovation and continuous improvements to satellite technology has given humankind a much more holistic view of our planet, one that Theophrastus probably never could have imagined when he gazed across the disappearing marshlands of Athens more than 2,000 years ago. Today, L3Harris is developing affordable solutions to quickly launch and operate reliable and accurate technologies to stay ahead of what's coming next.

LINK:	https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/editorial/2021/07/todays-fight-again...
	See more stories from harris

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

18/03/2026

Net Insight Names Larissa GrnerMeeus CPO

Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4. Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...

18/03/2026

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026: Select Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...

18/03/2026

SVG's SportsTech@NABShow Blog Goes Live as Countdown to Vegas Heats Up

The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...

18/03/2026

The Premiere of Dead Lover Showcases Grave Robbing and Sex With a Giant Finger

(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...

18/03/2026

Music Row Piano from Wiltone Productions

Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...

18/03/2026

Techivation introduce T-Warmer Mk2

Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...

18/03/2026

Tonal Balance Control 3 from iZotope

Mix-reference plug-in overhauled iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...

18/03/2026

Toontrack Transistor Organ EKX

Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...

18/03/2026

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture 18 March, 2026 Media releases New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...

18/03/2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz at NAB 2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...

18/03/2026

LCTWS 2026

London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...

18/03/2026

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...

18/03/2026