SciTech Pulse
Climate

NASA's MAIA Sensors Reveal Detailed Picture of Addis Ababa's Air Pollution

A network of 10 NASA MAIA air sensors has measured three years of PM2.5 pollution in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ahead of the mission's space observatory launching no earlier than late 2027.

Step by step

  1. 1

    10 rooftop sensors installed in Addis Ababa

  2. 2

    Sensors measure PM2.5 over three years

  3. 3

    Data reveal daily and seasonal pollution spikes

  4. 4

    Ground network extended to a dozen global regions

  5. 5

    Space observatory to launch no earlier than late 2027

NASA's Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) mission has been using a network of 10 rooftop air sensors in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to produce one of the most detailed looks yet at the city's air pollution. Over three years, the sensors measured particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter, known as , one of the world's deadliest forms of air pollution.

, or soot, produced by diesel vehicles, fires and other combustion sources, is an important component of Addis Ababa's particulate pollution. The MAIA sensors revealed how the city's pollution changes by time of day and season, including spikes tied to rush-hour traffic and holiday celebrations, with air quality across monitoring stations varying between 20 and 40 micrograms per cubic meter. Black carbon has been linked to low birth weight, brain development effects, respiratory conditions and premature mortality; the 2025 State of Global Air Report, cited in the mission's paper, estimates that PM2.5 particles, some small enough to enter the bloodstream, are linked to around 4.9 million excess deaths per year globally.

MAIA's air pollution research covers about a dozen regions worldwide, including three in the United States centered on Los Angeles, Atlanta and Boston, and mission scientists say the Addis Ababa findings are relevant to cities elsewhere, including in the US.

The mission combines its ground-based sensor network, already in operation, with a space observatory carrying a camera built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is designed to identify different types of PM2.5 aerosols by how they reflect light. The observatory is set to launch on an Italian Space Agency satellite no earlier than late 2027.

Terms explained

The story so far

  1. Road Dust Behind Nearly a Third of Hyderabad's PM10 Pollution, TGPCB-IIT Study Finds
  2. How Old Spy Satellites Became NASA's Roman Space Telescope
  3. Beijing's Beloved Shade Trees Turn Out to Be a Hidden Ozone Source
  4. NASA's Starling Mission Demonstrates GPS-Free Satellite Navigation
  5. AI Searches 100 Million Options to Find Cheaper Way to 3D-Print NASA Rocket Alloy
  6. Rescue Attempt Fails, NASA's Swift Telescope Now Falling Toward Earth
  7. NASA's MAIA Sensors Reveal Detailed Picture of Addis Ababa's Air Pollution
#MAIA#NASA#air pollution#PM2.5#Addis Ababa
Rate this story

Related stories