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\t\t\t\t\t\t24\/05\/2024<\/span> ESA\u2019s Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) mission is getting ready for lift-off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg, California, with a target launch date of no earlier than 28 May 2024. Save the date and watch the launch live on ESA WebTV or ESA YouTube.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n EarthCARE, the most complex of all of ESA\u2019s Earth Explorer missions, will quantify and reduce the uncertainty about the role that clouds and aerosols play in heating and cooling Earth\u2019s atmosphere \u2013 contributing to our better understanding of climate change.<\/p>\n Understanding and monitoring Earth\u2019s radiation balance is crucial for addressing climate-related issues and is something that can only be done from space.<\/p>\n Developed as a cooperation between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), EarthCARE will examine the roll that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting solar radiation back into space and also in trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n EarthCARE will, for the first time, measure vertical profiles of cloud particles and aerosols, and their fall speed \u2013 providing new insights into interactions between clouds, aerosols and precipitation. It will also register the distribution of water droplets and ice crystals and how they are transported in clouds.<\/p>\n This essential data will improve the accuracy of both cloud development models and their behaviour, composition and interaction with aerosols, as well as improve future climate models and support numerical weather prediction.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n EarthCARE is equipped with\u00a0four state-of-the-art instruments\u00a0that work together to provide a holistic view of the interplay between clouds, aerosols and radiation.<\/p>\n The satellite\u2019s\u00a0atmospheric lidar\u00a0delivers cloud-top information and profiles of thin clouds and aerosols. The\u00a0cloud profiling radar, provided by JAXA, provides information on the vertical structure, motion and internal dynamics of clouds. The\u00a0multispectral imager\u00a0offers a wide-scene overview in multiple wavelengths, and the\u00a0broadband radiometer\u00a0directly measures reflected solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation.<\/p>\n By using all four instruments at the same time, our understanding on the impact of clouds and aerosols on reflecting sunlight and trapping heat can be directly correlated with measured reflected solar radiation and emitted thermal radiation combined on one satellite.<\/p>\n EarthCARE will orbit Earth at an altitude of around 400 km which is as low as possible to optimise the use of both lidar and radar. It will fly in a polar orbit, crossing the equator in the early afternoon, to optimise daylight conditions.<\/p>\n Watch the EarthCARE launch live on ESA WebTV or via ESA YouTube.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 23:34 Start of ESA WebTV Programme – Live from the European Space Operations Centre<\/p>\n 00:05 SpaceX live broadcast begins<\/p>\n 00:20 Lift-off\u00a0<\/p>\n 00:30 Spacecraft deployment<\/p>\n 01:12 Acquisition of signal<\/p>\n 01:20 End of ESA TV webcast<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Follow ESA Earth observation on social media for more updates and live coverage of the EarthCARE launch using the #EarthCARE hashtag.<\/p>\n \nX:\u00a0@esa<\/a>\u00a0@ESA_Earth Observation<\/a>\u00a0@ESA_Operations Follow the EarthCARE launch campaign blog.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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