Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE)
PREFIRE will document, for the first time, variability in spectral fluxes from 5-45 μm on hourly to seasonal timescales.
Two 6U CubeSats in distinct 470–650 km altitude, near-polar (82°-98° inclination) orbitseach carrying a miniaturized IR spectrometer, covering 0- 45 μm at 0.84 μm spectral resolution, operating for one seasonal cycle (a year).
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The Arctic is Earth’s thermostat. It regulates the climate by venting excess energy received in the tropics.
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Nearly 60% of Arctic emission occurs at wavelengths > 15 μm (FIR) that have never been systematically measured.
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PREFIRE improves Arctic climate predictions by anchoring spectral FIR emission and atmospheric GHE.
PREFIRE will document, for the first time, variability in spectral fluxes from 5-45 μm on hourly to seasonal timescales. Two 6U CubeSats in distinct 470–650 km altitude, near-polar (82°-98° inclination) orbitseach carrying a miniaturized IR spectrometer, covering 0- 45 μm at 0.84 μm spectral resolution, operating for one seasonal cycle (a year).
