NASA launches powerful air quality monitor to keep an eagle-eye on pollution

NASA has launched an innovative air quality monitoring instrument into a fixed-rotation orbit around Earth. The tool is called TEMPO, which stands for Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution instrument, and it keeps an eye on a handful of harmful airborne pollutants in the atmosphere, such as nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde and ground-level ozone. These chemicals are the building blocks of smog.

TEMPO traveled to space hitched to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA says the launch was completed successfully, with the atmospheric satellite separating from the rocket without any incidents. NASA acquired the appropriate signal and the agency says the instrument will begin monitoring duties in late May or early June.

TEMPO sits at a fixed geostationary orbit just above the equator and it measures air quality over North America every hour and measures regions spaced apart by just a few miles. This is a significant improvement to existing technologies, as current measurements are conducted within areas of 100 square miles. TEMPO should be able to take accurate measurements from neighborhood to neighborhood, giving a comprehensive view of pollution from both the macro and micro levels.

This also gives us some unique opportunities to pick up new kinds of data, such as changing pollution levels throughout rush hour, the effects of lightning on the ozone layer, the movement of pollution related to forest fires and the long-term effects of fertilizers on the atmosphere, among other data points. More information is never bad. 

NASA

TEMPO is the middle child in a group of high-powered instruments tracking pollution. South Korea's Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer went up in 2020, measuring pollution over Asia, and the ESA (European Space Agency) Sentinel-4 satellite launches in 2024 to handle European and North African measurements. Other tracking satellites will eventually join TEMPO up there in the great black, including the forthcoming NASA instrument to measure the planet's crust.

You may notice that TEMPO flew into space on a SpaceX rocket and not a NASA rocket. This is by design, as the agency is testing a new business model to send crucial instruments into orbit. Paying a private company seems to be the more budget-friendly option when compared to sending up a rocket itself. 

The NASA TEMPO launch seen at night from a distance, with the rocket blazing as it takes off.

SpaceX’s Crew-5 mission safely returns to Earth after five months in space

SpaceX’s Crew-5 mission has safely returned to Earth. On Saturday evening, the company’s “Endurance” Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the coast of Florida following a five-month stay at the International Space Station. The capsule was carrying NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Nicole Mann, Japan’s Koichi Wakata and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina.

The four spent 157 days in orbit during an ISS rotation that was one for the history books. As Space.com points out, the Crew-5 mission saw Mann, a member of the Wailaki people, become the first Native American woman to fly in space. It was also the first time a Russian cosmonaut flew aboard a private American spacecraft, a milestone made possible after NASA and Roscosmos signed a seat-sharing agreement last year amid increasing US and Russian tensions due to the war in Ukraine.

For Wakata, the flight was his fifth return from space, a Japanese record. The mission also marked the second orbital trip for Endurance after the capsule successfully carried the Crew-3 crew back to Earth last fall. The spacecraft will now return to SpaceX’s Dragon Lair facility in Florida for safety checks and refurbishment ahead of its next flight.

Not on the flight was NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who flew to the ISS on MS-22, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that sprung a coolant leak late last year following an apparent micrometeoroid strike. The Endurance crew temporarily retrofitted their ride to carry Rubio in case of an emergency evacuation from the ISS after Roscomos determined MS-22 could only safely transport two people. They later removed those modifications after Russia sent a replacement Soyuz spacecraft to bring Rubio and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin back to Earth.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, left, NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Nicole Mann, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, right, are seen inside the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon shortly after having landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida, Saturday, March 11, 2023.

DJI’s Mini 3 drone is currently $90 off

One of the most compelling aspects of DJI's Mini 3 drone, a stripped-down version of the Pro model, is the price, which was already fairly reasonable. It usually costs $559, but if you've had your eye on the drone, now might be the time to snap it up. The price has dropped to $469, which is $90 off.

The Mini 3 has the same Type 1/1.3 (9.6 x 7.2 mm) f/1.7 sensor as the Mini 3 Pro. While you'll still be able to take 12MP still photos, video is restricted to 30 frames per second at 4K instead of 60 frames per second at the same resolution on the higher-end model. As for 2.7K and full HD recordings, those are limited to 60fps. Still, there's a neat trick as the camera can flip 90 degrees to capture vertical video for the likes of TikTok and Snapchat.

DJI says you'll get up to 38 minutes of flight time in ideal conditions with the foldable Mini 3. It also weighs less than 249 grams, which means you won't need to secure a dedicated permit to fly it in certain territories (it's always worth checking local drone regulations before buying one, though). Despite the small size, DJI claims the Mini 3 is resistant to winds of 38 KPH (23.6 miles per hour).

An automated video feature called QuickShots sees the drone fly automatically on certain paths, such as moving around a subject. There are some features that could come in handy for novice flyers, such as automatic takeoff and functions that bring the drone back to its departure point in certain circumstances, such as when the battery is running low or the signal cuts out. On the downside, unlike on the Mini 3 Pro, there are no forward and rear obstacle detection sensors, which could particularly become an issue when the return to home function is engaged when the drone's out of your line of sight.

For those who'd prefer to take charge of the Mini 3 with a controller that has a built-in 5.5-inch screen (rather than the regular RC-N1 one that you'd likely have to use in combination with your smartphone), it's worth noting that the RC model is on sale as well. That version is also $90 off at $609.

Meanwhile, bundles with two additional Intelligent Flight Batteries, a two-way charging hub and a shoulder bag have been discounted. The Fly More Combo for the Mini 3 with the RC-N1 controller has dropped from $718 to $758. The bundle with the RC controller is down from $858 to $798.

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DJI's Mini 3 drone is cheaper, but more limited than the Pro model it's based on

Amazon secures key FCC approval to deploy its Project Kuiper broadband satellites

Amazon is getting closer to being able to deploy Project Kuiper's broadband satellites. The company has just received key approval from the Federal Communications Commission, which it needs to be able to officially send 3,236 satellites to orbit and to begin Kuiper's satellite internet operations. As SpaceNews notes, Amazon secured an initial approval from the agency in 2020. The FCC gave it permission to launch thousands of Low Earth Orbit satellites, so long as it later secures regulatory approval for an updated orbital debris mitigation plan.

In the order (PDF), the commission said the updated plan satisfies the condition it gave the company when it granted its request back in 2020. This additional approval "will allow Kuiper to begin deployment of its constellation in order to bring high-speed broadband connectivity to customers around the world."

As part of its updated orbital debris mitigation plan, the FCC will require Amazon to submit a a semi-annual report "concerning the number of satellites launched and disposal reliability." If Amazon experiences disposal failure with satellites within a single year, it has to report that fact to the FCC, as well. In addition, the commission is requiring Project Kuiper to ensure that it will be able to deorbit its satellites after their seven-year mission is done. Making sure the decommissioned satellites are out of orbit is necessary to prevent them from colliding with the International Space Station and other inhabitable stations. 

Late last year, Amazon revealed that the first two Project Kuiper satellites will head to orbit aboard the maiden flight of United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket. Vulcan Centaur is still currently under testing, but if all goes to plan, it'll fly for the first time in the next few months. 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 07: Amazon’s description of Project Kuiper, an initiative to build a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation capable of providing reliable, affordable broadband service to unserved and underserved communities around the world, is displayed on a screen at CES 2023 at Venetian Expo on January 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 08 and features about 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 100,000 attendees. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

DJI's $369 Mini 2 SE drone can fly up to 10km away

The rumors were true, DJI is releasing a new Mini 2 SE drone that features a couple of upgrades over the company’s existing entry-level drone. Most notably, DJI has equipped the Mini 2 SE with its in-house OcuSync 2.0 transmission system, meaning the drone can now effectively fly more than twice as far away as the original Mini SE. That model’s “Enhanced WiFi” system limited its range to up to 4km. The new system should also maintain a more stable video feed at greater distances. That said, the addition of OcuSync 2.0 might not be as valuable as the numbers suggest. Most jurisdictions require that you maintain a visual line of sight with your drone, and with a UAV as small as the Mini 2 SE, it’s very likely you’ll lose sight of it long before you get a chance to fly it 10km away.

Additionally, DJI says the Mini 2 SE can fly for 31 minutes on a single battery charge, a modest upgrade from the previous model’s maximum 30-minute flight time. Aside from those changes, the Mini 2 SE is nearly identical to the model it’s about to replace. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Like its predecessor, the Mini 2 SE weighs less than 249 grams, meaning you’re not required to register it with the Federal Aviation Administration. The new drone also carries over the aging but decent camera system found on the Mini SE. It comes with a three-axis gimbal and a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of capturing 2.7K video and 12-megapixel stills.

The DJI Mini 2 SE will cost $369 when it arrives next month. In addition to selling the drone on its own, DJI will offer the Mini 2 SE as part of a “Fly More Combo” bundle that comes with additional batteries, replacement propellers and a carrying case for $519.

DJI's new Mini SE2 drone sitting on someone's palm.