The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) is a satellite mission on board the Canadian satellite SCISAT that takes measurements of the Earth's atmosphere. Originally planned to have a two-year lifetime, ACE performs flawlessly 20 years on.
ACE uses Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of sunlight during sunrise and sunset to determine the abundance of 46 atmospheric molecules associated with ozone depletion, air pollution, and climate change.
All these mission data products are produced in the Chemistry Department at the University of Waterloo at the ACE Science Operations Centre (SOC). The SOC analyzes the ACE infrared spectra and distributes their data products to hundreds of users around the world.
Dr. Peter Bernath is the Mission Scientist, which involves the collaboration of members from several universities, industries and other organizations in Canada and around the world. Funding for the ACE mission is primarily provided by the Canadian Space Agency.
With 46+ atmospheric molecules measured over 20 years, ACE stands as Canada's most successful scientific mission.
SCISAT was launched on August 12, 2003 and has been measuring data since February, 2004. The SCISAT mission originally had a 2-year lifetime, but has far exceeded that!
The most recent ACE-FTS dataset, v5.2, has over 20 years of atmospheric data for 46 molecules, plus isotopologues and line-of-sight winds.
SCISAT has orbited the Earth over 110,000 times!
News
ACE in the news: "Measuring greenhouse gas with satellites"
Waterloo study is the first to use satellites to measure HFC-125 in the atmosphere for a more accurate picture of climate change.
Project Scientist Dr. Chris Boone awarded the AMT Outstanding Referee Award
On May 22, 2024, Project Scientist Dr. Chris Boone was awarded the Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT) Outstanding Referee Award. In a press release provided by AMT:
"Dr Christopher D. Boone (University of Waterloo) is a leading, globally recognized scientist in the field of infrared spectroscopy and remote sensing. He has provided a large number of reviews for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. It is, however, not the mere number of reviews that makes Dr Christopher D. Boone an outstanding reviewer but also the quality of each of his reviews. These reviews are extremely thorough, reflect his unequalled expertise, and have helped to considerably improve the papers through his contribution. The constructive style and respectful language employed in his suggestions make it easy for the authors to accept any criticism and motivate them to improve their papers. We extend our congratulations to Dr Christopher D. Boone on receiving this reward."
Congratulations Chris!
ACE in the news: "ABB Technology Helps Make Scientific Discoveries from Space"
Recent scientific discoveries reported by the Canadian Space Agency expose a chemical process in the atmosphere through which intense wildfires contribute to ozone layer depletion. These discoveries have been made possible by ABB technology on board the SCISAT satellite.