Aura

active Mission

aura science

Ozone

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Air Quality

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Aura Stories

This image is an animated version of the Aura satellite in orbit. The satellite, seen centered in the image, is made up of silver and gold box-like shapes and instruments. Spanning out to the right of the satellite is a long sheet of solar panels. In the background of the image at the bottom is a portion of Earth seen with clouds and a blue haze surrounding it. The top of the background is the deep black of space, with a cluster of green colored stars to the left.

Aura (Latin for breeze) obtains measurements of ozone, aerosols and key gases throughout the atmosphere.

Type

Orbiter

Launch

July 15, 2004

Target

Earth

Objective

Measure trace gases in Earth's atmosphere

Aura at 20 Years

Launched in 2004, the Aura mission has been nothing short of transformative for scientific research and applied sciences. Bryan Duncan, Aura's Project Scientist reflects in celebration of the mission.

20 years of Aura

System Analysis

Potential Evolution of the Aura Mission

The Aura satellite and its instruments are in good/excellent health, having aged well. This status is expected to continue to the end of the mission. Insufficient power generation by the solar array is conservatively predicted to be the life-limiting factor for the Aura satellite and instruments by mid-2026.

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