EMIT ISS deployment

EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) is a NASA/JPL imaging spectrometer mounted on the exterior of the International Space Station, launched 14 July 2022 [^emit-jpl][^eoportal-emit]. Its primary science goal is to map the mineralogical composition of arid dust-source regions globally, enabling better modelling of mineral aerosol effects on climate and ecosystems [^emit-jpl][^green-2020]. The instrument covers the visible-to-shortwave-infrared range (380-2500 nm) using pushbroom imaging spectroscopy [^emit-specs][^nasa-earthdata-emit].

EMIT operates from the ISS non-sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 407 km altitude and 51.6 degree inclination. Swath width is reported as 80 km by eoPortal, 75 km by NASA Earthdata, and approximately 78 km derived from the instrument's 11-degree cross-track FOV at operational altitude [^eoportal-emit][^nasa-earthdata-emit][^emit-specs]; the DB carries 80 km, which falls within this range. The prime 12-month mission concluded around July 2023; the mission entered an extended phase in early 2024 and was active through at least May 2026 [^emit-jpl]. No planned decommission date had been publicly announced as of the research date. The four-year archive is publicly distributed through NASA Earthdata.