Successfully launched the EarthCARE satellite to probe the impact of clouds on climate

The EarthCARE satellite, launched from California (USA), is expected to orbit about 400km above Earth in the next three years with the mission of understanding the role of clouds in the fight against climate change.

On May 28, SpaceX Corporation's Falcon 9 rocket carrying the EarthCARE satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California (USA) at 3:20 p.m. local time (5:20 a.m. May 29 Vietnam time).

SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster on a mission, launched from Kennedy Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida (USA), February 15, 2024. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN)

With the mission of understanding the role of clouds in the fight against climate change, the EarthCARE satellite is the result of cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan's JAXA space agency.

ESA confirmed the successful launch on the agency's website.

Weighing two tons, EarthCARE is expected to orbit about 400km above Earth for the next three years.

ESA Director Josef Aschbacher emphasized that the launch of this satellite is a demonstration that space exploration is not only about exploring galaxies and distant planets, but also about learning about Earth itself.

According to Dominique Gillieron, head of ESA's Earth observation project department, clouds are a complex and diverse phenomenon.

He explains how the composition and altitude of clouds in Earth's atmosphere affect their impact on climate.

Lower-level cumulus clouds act like an umbrella, reflecting the Sun's radiation and cooling the atmosphere.

Higher up, cirrus clouds formed from ice crystals allow solar radiation to penetrate and warm the Earth, which then traps the heat like a blanket.

Simonetta Cheli, head of ESA's Earth observation programmes, said EarthCARE will become the first satellite to measure the distribution of clouds.

Specifically, the satellite's two devices will shine light on clouds to probe their depth, with a light detection and ranging device (LIDAR) using laser pulses to measure both clouds and aerosols (small particles such as dust, pollen or pollutants emitted by humans such as smoke or ash).

Additionally, the satellite's radar will penetrate the clouds to measure the amount of water they contain and monitor the cloud's speed. Other instruments will be responsible for measuring the shape and temperature of these clouds.

The above data will form the first complete picture of clouds from a satellite perspective, thereby helping to improve climate models to make better predictions of global warming trends. demand, especially as climate change has altered the distribution of clouds.