A team of scientists and researchers led by Professor Jim Drummond of U of T's physics department will see their work literally go out of this world next month.

The Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) satellite instrument is tentatively scheduled to take off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a NASA-launched Atlas IIAS rocket Dec. 16.

Drummond's brainchild, MOPITT is the first of its kind in the world. From 705 kilometres above the Earth, it will provide scientists and researchers with global measurements of atmospheric pollution by calibrating the level of methane and carbon monoxide in the earth's troposphere.

"It's the first time that we will have comprehensive, global measurements of these gases and their movements," said Drummond. "It's the first time that we'll have information on global pollution over this long a period of time."

Methane and carbon monoxide are closely associated with global warming and the greenhouse effect. Over the long term, scientists and environmentalists will be able to use MOPITT'S data to predict the continuing effects of atmospheric pollution and evaluate the effectiveness of pollution controls worldwide.

They will also be able to observe the gases' effect on climate; the relationship between urban sprawl, deforestation and global warming; and whether or not stricter emission controls have led to less atmospheric pollution.

MOPITT — which will pass over every location on the globe every four days and has a projected orbital lifetime of five years — detects infrared radiation coming from the atmosphere and compares and correlates it with its own data.

Developed by Drummond under contract from the Canadian Space Agency and built by the high-tech company COM DEV of Cambridge, Ont., the instrument is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's EOS (Earth Observation System) AM-1 satellite. Known as the Terra mission, EOS will provide scientists on Earth with a total picture of the interconnection and relationship between the Earth's lands, oceans, climate, atmosphere and people. It will be the first time that a complete picture of the Earth will be provided in such detail.

As for seeing the culmination of his work go into space, Drummond — who has spent more than a decade on the project — said he is looking forward to the launch but admits that "it's also scary. You're seeing 14 years of work sitting on top of a rocket," he joked.

He will be in California Dec. 16 to see MOPITT and Terra lift off.