NASA Launches International Mission to Survey Earth's Water

Led by NASA and the French space agency CNES, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission will provide high-definition data on the salt- and fresh water on Earth’s surface.

slide 2 - A methane plume, colored purple by the color bar, appears over a portion of satellite imagery of the Earth

Methane ‘Super-Emitters' Mapped by NASA's New Earth Space Mission

Built to help scientists understand how dust affects climate, the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation can also pinpoint emissions of the potent greenhouse gas.

slide 3 - Hurricane Ida's destruction in Louisiana is shown. A lonely mailbox emerges out of flood waters in the foreground, while trees and an electricity pole emerge further back. In the center of the image are the completely disheveled and helter-skelter remains of the home that belonged to the mail box. The only part of it left standing are the stairs going up the front porch.

Earth Stories

Read more stories about how JPL Earth Science is used in the community.

slide 4 - image of Earth's clouds and atmosphere from space

Earth Science & Technology

Using our unique expertise to better understand how Earth works as a system for the benefit of society

Features: JPL Earth science in the community

People living along the ocean coasts are experiencing sea level rise in real-time. The growing challenge they face can be monitored by JPL's altimeter satellites.

Satellites that "see" sea level rise

Daniel Esteban-Fernandez has done everything from flying through hurricanes with radar sensors, to hatching new ideas for satellites on paper napkins.

Dani Esteban-Fernandez is standing in NOAA hangar with a giant plant behind him -- the plane they use to fly through hurricanes.

Career profile: Daniel Esteban-Fernandez on developing the SWOT satellite at JPL

New research uses NASA satellite observations and advanced computing to chronicle wetlands lost (and found) around the globe.

A satellite image of the Mississippi Delta. You can see emerald-colored land, deep blue ocean, and skinny fingers of rivers running through the marshes.

Satellites Help Scientists Track Dramatic Wetlands Loss in Louisiana

From the disappointment of a failed launch to the fanfare of a successful one, the documentary showcases how NASA's carbon dioxide-measuring satellites came to be.

Two objects are seen orbiting the Earth in space: the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, and the International Space Station (Which hosts the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3)

Flying sky-high: a look at NASA satellites that measure carbon dioxide

Earth Science Missions

Currently there are more than a dozen missions in operation and several more in development being managed by the Earth Science and Technology Directorate.

Airborne Missions

JPL's Earth Science Airborne Suborbital Instruments and Measurements consist of missions utilizing remote sensing instruments for suborbital studies which are flown on a variety of airborne systems.