EarthCARE (ESA–JAXA)

ESA–JAXA EarthCARE carries the first space cloud radar that can measure how cloud particles move up and down.

Image: NASA.

The Five W's of EarthCARE

Who

ESA and JAXA; JAXA and NICT built the Cloud Profiling Radar.

Source: ESA, EarthCARE

Source: JAXA, EarthCARE Cloud Profiling Radar

What

A satellite with four instruments, including JAXA's Doppler Cloud Profiling Radar.

Source: ESA, EarthCARE

When

Launched May 29, 2024 from Vandenberg, California on a Falcon 9.

Source: ESA, EarthCARE

Where

Low Earth orbit, profiling the atmosphere beneath it.

Source: ESA, EarthCARE

Why

Knowing whether clouds warm or cool the planet sharpens climate forecasts.

Source: ESA, EarthCARE

Impact Statement

Agency solution · active

Clouds and aerosols are among the hardest parts of the climate to measure. EarthCARE launched on May 29, 2024 with four instruments that measure them together. Its JAXA Cloud Profiling Radar is the first spaceborne cloud radar with Doppler capability, measuring the vertical motion of cloud particles from orbit.

Source: ESA, EarthCARE

Source: JAXA, EarthCARE Cloud Profiling Radar

For Further Information: ESA, EarthCARE

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