ERBS

ERBS carried three principal instruments: the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) scanner and non-scanner, and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II). SAGE II became particularly valuable, providing over two decades of continuous measurements of stratospheric aerosols, ozone, and water vapor that were critical for monitoring ozone depletion.

ERBS was launched on October 5, 1984, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-41-G, and was deployed into orbit by the shuttle crew. The satellite was originally designed for a two-year mission but operated for over two decades before being decommissioned in 2005.

ERBS data was instrumental in quantifying the Earth's radiation budget—measuring how much solar energy enters the atmosphere and how much heat escapes back to space. The SAGE II instrument on ERBS provided critical long-term measurements of stratospheric ozone depletion that supported the scientific basis for the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting substances.

ERBS reentered Earth's atmosphere in January 2023 after nearly 38 years in orbit, as confirmed by the U.S. Space Force tracking network. Most of the satellite was expected to burn up during reentry, though some components may have survived to reach the surface.