The National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder will soon be distributing information collected by the Terra satellite, NASAÂ’s premier Earth Observing System spacecraft launched in December 1999. Terra is the first satellite to monitor how EarthÂ’s atmosphere, land, ocean, snow and ice cover, solar radiation and life influence the planet on a daily, global scale, according to NASA officials. Carrying five instruments, Terra is giving scientists a comprehensive view of Earth as a system and monitoring its long-term health.