Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR)

The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) is an Earth-observing satellite, originally proposed by former Vice President Al Gore in 1998. Inspired by Apollo 17’s photograph, The Blue Marble—the first image to show the fully illuminated face of our planet—Vice President Gore challenged NASA to create a satellite that would allow anyone to view Earth and its changing face through a continuous real-time image via the Internet.

After years of delay, DSCOVR was finally launched from Cape Canaveral onboard a Space X Falcon 9 rocket on February 11, 2015. The mission is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Air Force.

DSCOVR is located at the LaGrangian Point 1, or “L1,” a unique point in space—more than 1 million miles from Earth—where the gravity of the Earth and Sun are balanced. From L1, DSCOVR co-orbits the Earth and conducts its scientific missions, which include the first ever measurement of the energy budget for planet Earth.