Terra's Orbital Drift

Terra has been collecting crucial data on Earth's systems for over 20 years. In 2020, it performed its final inclination maneuver to maintain its equatorial crossing time. Since then, Terra has drifted to an earlier crossing time, and by 2022, it will cross before 10:15 AM. This change will lead to a new orbit, affecting data and imagery, with longer shadows and narrower sensor views. Despite these changes, the scientific impact is minimal, and Terra's data will continue to support research in land morphology, surface temperature, and climate for years.

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