Time: 2024-05-28
The European Space Agency is making final preparations for the launch of its EarthCARE satellite, aimed at advancing the understanding of Earth's climate. The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) is equipped with four instruments to analyze clouds and aerosols globally, enhancing climate models and weather predictions.
With liftoff scheduled for 3:20 p.m. PDT (6:20 p.m. EDT, 2220 UTC) from Vandenberg Space Force Base, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will carry ESA's EarthCARE spacecraft into orbit. The mission marks the seventh flight for the Falcon 9 booster B1081, which has previously supported various missions including Crew-7 and several Starlink launches.
SpaceX's involvement in this launch comes after a series of changes in plans, notably due to the unavailability of the Russian Soyuz rocket and the delay in the Vega-C rocket's return-to-flight campaign. As a result, EarthCARE was reassigned to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, streamlining Europe's mission to study clouds and aerosols in depth.
Following liftoff, the spacecraft will reach a sun-synchronous Earth orbit at an altitude of 393 km and an inclination of 97.05. EarthCARE's main instruments, such as the Cloud Profiling Radar and Atmospheric Lidar, will play a key role in gathering crucial data on cloud properties and aerosol physical characteristics.
Additionally, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) contributed to EarthCARE by providing the Cloud Profiling Radar instrument. The collaboration between ESA and JAXA highlights the international effort to enhance climate research through innovative satellite technology.
Business
