CALIPSO

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CALIPSO
CALIPSO
Type: Earth observation satellite
Country: United StatesUnited States United States of France
FranceFrance 
Operator: National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA NASA CNES
Center national d'études spatialesCNES 
COSPAR-ID : 2006-016A
Mission dates
Dimensions: 587 kg
Begin: April 28, 2006, 10:02 UTC
Starting place: Vandenberg SLC-2W
Launcher: Delta 7420-10C D314
Status: in orbit
Orbit data
Rotation time : 98.5 min
Orbit inclination : 57.0 °
Apogee height :  703 km
Perigee height :  701 km

CALIPSO ( C loud- A erosol L idar and I nfrared P athfinder S atellite O bservations) is an American-French earth observation satellite of NASA and CNES . CALIPSO is used to research the effects of clouds and aerosols on the weather and air quality on earth. The satellite is part of the Earth Observing System (EOS) research program, which includes a number of environmental satellites.

mission

CALIPSO preparing to start in Vandenberg

CALIPSO works in a 700 km high, sun-synchronous orbit and flies in formation with the CloudSat satellite , which also studies clouds, and three other environmental satellites ( Aura , Aqua and PARASOL ). These five satellites together form the A-Train . Since CALIPSO and CloudSat were launched as the last two satellites, they had to be precisely classified in the formation. Therefore, the start window was only open for one second on a given day. Delays were therefore intolerable.

CALIPSO had after the launch had already been postponed several times, on 21 April 2006 along with CloudSat aboard a Delta II - carrier rocket will be launched. Due to technical problems with communication between CALIPSO and the ground station in France, the countdown was stopped less than a minute before the ignition. Further start attempts had to be canceled due to bad weather or other technical problems.

On April 28, 2006 at 12:02 CEST , the satellites were finally launched on the seventh attempt at launch. A good hour later, CALIPSO was separated and placed in orbit.

CALIPSO was designed for a mission period of three years, but its use has now been extended until 2013.

Instruments

CALIPSO instruments

Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP)

CALIOP uses a laser to create high-resolution, vertical profiles of clouds. It works with several wavelengths and a receiver telescope with a diameter of one meter.

Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR)

This system works in the infrared range with wavelengths between 8 and 12 µm. The same image section is viewed and the CALIOP is currently being analyzed.

Wide Field Camera (WFC)

This camera is particularly sensitive in the range of 645 nm wavelength and takes pictures of the earth's surface.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Orbit data according to Chris Peat: CALIPSO - Orbit. In: Heavens Above. April 22, 2012, accessed April 23, 2012 .
  2. ↑ NASA confirms CALIPSO mission 2 years extension. In: Calipso Latest News. CNES, September 26, 2011, accessed April 23, 2012 .

Web links

Commons : CALIPSO (spacecraft)  - collection of images, videos and audio files