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Advancing Signal and Data Processing for Space Payloads
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Numerous intangibles can affect the Ear th's weather.
To better understand the effects of one in par ticular—
mineral dust—NASA kicked off the Ear th Sur face
Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission in
2022 by sending an Ear th-imaging spectrometer to the
International Space Station.
The EMIT mission maps the surface mineralogy of dust
source regions on Earth. The data will improve forecasts by
helping us better understand the role of mineral dust in the
warming or cooling of Earth's atmosphere. For example,
strong winds can move air particles, such as mineral
rock dust, all over the world, even from one continent
to another. By accurately mapping the composition of
areas that produce this mineral dust, the mission will also
ultimately help advance the understanding of dust effects
as well as patterns on Earth and in human populations, now
and in the future.
EARTH SURFACE MINERAL DUST SOURCE INVESTIGATION (EMIT)
EMIT is the first instrument to use this new NASA-invented
imaging spectroscopy technology. To capture, store, and
process the large amounts of high-quality data collected
by the spectrometer, NASA JPL chose radiation-tolerant
solid-state data recorders (SSDRs) from Mercur y Systems.
The high-per formance RH3440 SSDRs used in the EMIT
spectrometer, each with a large storage capacity of 480
GB, enable reliable on-orbit sensor data processing and
precise long-term operation in harsh environments like the
Ear th's atmosphere.
Its architecture and design also allow the mission to
transfer significantly more data in less time, making the
overall mission more efficient. For example, the program
delivered more than 5,000 data sets in its first seven
months, each with a spectral fingerprint containing more
than 1.4 million spectra.
Photo courtesy by NASA/JPL-Caltech
