PICASSO-CENA satellite-based research mission: K-12 education and public outreach (Student use of remote sensing for research validation)

The PICASSO-CENA satellite-based research mission, formally known as Pathfinder Instruments for Cloud and Aerosol Spaceborne Observations-Climatologie Etendue des Nuages et des Aerosols, is a cooperative effort led by NASA Langley Research Center. PICASSO-CENA, scheduled for launch in 2003, will add critical new measurement capabilities to satellite systems planned for NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). Unique to PICASSO-CENA will be the use of LIDAR to provide an opportunity for more comprehensive atmospheric data collection. PICASSO-CENA will use LIDAR in concert with a near infrared spectrometer. The spectrometer will measure the spectrum of reflected sunlight in the oxygen A-band. More complete observations of cloud distributions and properties are needed to better understand their role in Earth's climate system. Many of the present uncertainties result from inadequate knowledge of the vertical distribution and degree of overlap of the clouds in these systems. To develop a scientifically literate population, there must be a venue for bringing scientific research and its implications to public awareness. In response to this need, PICASSO-CENA Outreach is collaborating with WHRO Public Broadcasting Network, the local PBS affiliate, to develop a video production on the PICASSO-CENA mission. Emphasis is being placed on providing the public with an explanation of PICASSO-CENA and the implications of its research on climatic change, health, visibility, and weather.