A-Train (satellites)
A-Train refers to a spacecraft fleet that consists of six satellites.
These are the satellites Aqua , Aura , CloudSat , PARASOL , CALIPSO and OCO 2 . The six satellites are in a common low orbit at an altitude of 705 kilometers with an inclination of 98 degrees. Together, the partly similar scientific instruments create an overview of the earthly weather and global climate. The data from the satellites complement each other, since they all fly over the same area with a time difference of just a few minutes, thus enabling different measurements of the same weather and environmental situation.
The name A-Train comes from the jazz track Take the “A” Train , which is about a ride on a New York subway on line A. The satellite group got this name because the satellites are lined up like wagons of a train and run on the same track. In addition, the A stands for afternoon , as the satellites cross the equator every day at around 1.30 p.m. local time (and again at 1.30 a.m. on the night side of the earth).
literature
Web links
- The Earth Observing System (English)
- NASA shelves climate satellites (English)
- NASA: Formation Flying: The Afternoon “A-Train” Satellite Constellation (PDF, English)