[GLIMS] Terra and ASTER and MODIS operations until end of life

[Jeffrey Kargel]

Dear GLIMS colleagues:

Terra is undergoing another regular biannual Senior Review to determine whether the mission should continue.  All indications are favorable at this point.  Part of the plan involves and end of life plan, which has been revised.  The current thought-- which likely will be approved by NASA-- is to maintain the current orbit and regular observations until 2022 (same sun synchroneity, orbit track repeat time, equator crossing time, same everything as now).  Then a rocket burn will reduce the orbit of Terra out of the A Train, but operations will continue until 2026.  Then aerodynamic drag will cause the spacecraft to enter the atmosphere around 2076, which obviously would be an uncontrolled entry.  This of course is a change, and I won't comment on it further, except that we get a lot more operability out of Terra.  Another option under consideration is to change the equator crossing time.  Surprisingly, there is also discussion about refueling, but I doubt that will happen.

--Jeff Kargel
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