What is the plan after MODIS?
The designed life span for the Terra and Aqua satellites was 6 years. The Terra satellite is effectively coming to the end of its predicted lifespan, as has happened in the past with many other spacecraft. The Visible Imaging Infrared Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is being developed to extend the measurement series of the MODIS sensor, currently flying aboard EOS’ Terra and Aqua satellites. The VIIRS sensor is part of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) – a joint NASA/IPO instrument risk reduction project. The success of MODIS, and of the Terra and Aqua platforms in providing earth observations, has set the bar for the next generation of instruments and spacecraft for the continuity of Earth observation. The launch schedule for NPP is currently still under review.
