Specs
Launch date: February 18, 1979
Launch vehicle: Scout D
Launch site: Wallops Island, Virginia
Time to orbit Earth: about 95 minutes
Orbital speed: 27,200 kilometers/hour (16,900 miles per hour)
Altitude: 600 kilometers (373 miles)
Weight: 147 kilograms (324 pounds)

History
The SAGE I (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment) measured the concentrations of ozone and aerosol particles in the Earth's upper atmosphere. SAGE collected the data by measuring radiation from the sun as it came through the atmosphere. By comparing SAGE's data to meteorological information, researchers could determine how much ozone, nitrogen dioxide and other types of particulate matter was in the air. The data collected by SAGE I can be compared with current research findings to see how Earth's climate and atmosphere has changed over time.

SAGE Links
SAGE I
This page offers a quick, no-nonsense summary of the SAGE I project. It includes a link to a chart mapping the latitudes covered by the SAGE data, as well as a helpful list of acronym definitions.

SAGE II
Check out this page to learn about the SAGE II mission and to view contour maps of cloud cover, aerosols, nitrogen dioxide and water vapor coverage from the SAGE II satellite data page.

SAGE III
Visit this page for an overview of the cooperation between Russia and the United States that led to the launch of SAGE-III. The project continues the legacy of the SAGE series of spacecraft in the study of the Earth's environment.