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