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The ICESat-2 satellite is an impressive piece of equipment. It's

Jan. 15, 2017 by Devin Jones

The ICESat-2 satellite is an impressive piece of equipment. It's also a very nice little piece of equipment that doesn't really need much attention. But there are some big downsides: the satellite takes longer than a normal satellite to get up and down, and with that, it's going to get tired and get tired quickly. What an achievement.

But the ICESat-2 mission was a lot more interesting than the previous. In 2013, NASA set about to launch a program called Operation IceBridge to explore the ice caps of Antarctica’s glacial ice. The program's launch was supposed to include a new instrument that would take images of ice that's been melting and see if NASA could figure out what's going on. As it turns out, NASA actually hadn't figured out the right instrument: the SESat-2 satellite.

The mission, which NASA calls Operation IceBridge, launched in December 2013. After a nine-year effort, it was clear that there was something important going on in Antarctica. The satellite's instrument was not getting the job it needed to get down there. As NASA launched into the Arctic, Operation IceBridge began to look like a major accomplishment for the agency.

Operation IceBridge was in fact actually a major victory for NASA. The fact that its work is going to be part of a bigger project that NASA is working on to get back to basics helps make Operation IceBridge work for NASA as well. Because of Operation IceBridge, it's now possible to take the same measurements as the satellites. So if you're just starting out, you're going to want to make sure you make sure your work is done in a way that's actually going to help NASA. The International Space Station is a great place to start.

For more from me, I recommend reading The IceCube: A Guide to Space Science Applications. I will also be on Radio Astronomy Monday, October 20.

For more on NASA's Antarctic project, see here.I am not sure if the name is a coincidence, or if it's actually a coincidence that the name "Pit" is a pun on "boutique", I don't know, I just couldn't find a real pun or a pun on the word.