NASA

NASA's Earth Observing System afternoon satellite, focused on the water cycle — precipitation, evaporation, clouds, and ocean properties.

A NASA–CNES mission using a space lidar to profile aerosols and thin clouds in Earth's atmosphere, flying in the A-Train formation.

A NASA mission carrying a cloud-profiling radar that measured the vertical structure of clouds to study their role in climate.

A twin-satellite mission that mapped tiny variations in Earth's gravity field to track the movement of water, ice, and mass around the planet.

The follow-on mission to GRACE, continuing the record of Earth's changing gravity field and the redistribution of water and ice.

A NASA laser-altimetry mission measuring the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, and vegetation to track a changing planet.

The first satellite of the Landsat program, which began the longest continuous record of Earth's land surface from space.

A NASA mission mapping the moisture in Earth's surface soil to improve weather and climate models and monitor drought and floods.

A NASA–CNES mission surveying the height of Earth's surface water — oceans, lakes, and rivers — with unprecedented resolution.

NASA's flagship Earth Observing System morning satellite, carrying instruments including MODIS and ASTER to study land, ocean, and atmosphere.

The first successful weather satellite, which returned the first television images of Earth's cloud cover in 1960 and founded operational meteorology from space.