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The NASA Libera mission will monitor the flow of radiative energy through the Earth–atmosphere system. This energy drives the motions of the atmosphere and oceans, fuels photosynthesis in plants, forms the protective ozone layer, and sustains all life on Earth. 

The mission will maintain the decades long data record of observation from NASA’s suite of Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments. Libera, named after the daughter of Ceres in Roman mythology, will fly on the NOAA-NASA Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-4) scheduled to launch in 2027.

Learn more about Libera with the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)
To meet NASA’s Earth Venture Continuity requirements and to advance the scientific use of Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) data, Libera defines three overarching goals:
  •     Provide seamless continuity of the ERB Data Records
  •     Develop a self-contained, innovative and affordable observing system
  •     Provide new and enhanced capabilities that support extending ERB science goals

The Libera instruments will fly on JPSS-4. Libera will measure:

  • Solar radiation with wavelengths between 0.3 and 5 microns reflected by the Earth system
  • Infrared radiation with wavelengths between 5 and 50 microns emitted from the Earth system as it exits the top of the atmosphere
  • Total radiation leaving the Earth system at all wavelengths from 0.3 to 100 microns
  • An innovative additional "split shortwave" channel measuring radiation between 0.7 and 5 microns has been added to enable new Earth radiation budget science.

The specific wavelength ranges Libera will observe will allow scientists to understand changes to Earth's climate system, including the factors responsible for Earth's energy imbalance—a deficit of outgoing energy—that is driving present-day climate change.

Libera Mission

Instrument Type

Spectrometers/Radiometers

Instrument Subtype

Radiometers

Specifications

Resolution

Spatial

24 km nadir footprint

Global Coverage

Spectral

From 300 nm to 100+ microns using vertically-aligned carbon nanotube detectors with electrical substitution closed-loop control

Temporal

Daily

Related Data Centers/Projects

ASDC

NASA's Atmospheric Science Data Center focuses on Earth science disciplines including radiation budget, clouds, aerosols, and tropospheric composition.

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