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NASA Facts CloudSat
NASA Facts CloudSat
Space Administration
CloudSat
Clouds exert an enormous influence Clouds transport and redistribute one
on our weather and climate. Clouds of Earth's most precious resources -
are everywhere around us, yet despite freshwater. If our world had no clouds,
the fact that scientists have studied there would be no way to replenish our
clouds for a long time, much about reservoirs of freshwater. Improved
clouds remains a mystery. Until now, knowledge of cloud and precipitation
our information about clouds has come processes will help us better predict
from satellites in Earth orbit that see future freshwater supplies for societal
mostly the tops of clouds, from limited use.
surface observations that see mostly
the bottoms of clouds, and from Clouds also dominate the energy bal-
sparse research aircraft observations. ance of Earth, warming and cooling
our planet. Even small changes in culation and determines where new
their abundance or distribution could clouds will form.
alter the climate more than anticipated
changes in greenhouse gases, CloudSat Firsts
human-produced aerosols, or other
CloudSat will achieve a number of
factors associated with global change.
important firsts:
Scientists believe that the main uncer-
tainties in climate model simulations First statistics on the vertical struc-
are due to the difficulties in adequately ture of clouds (for the first time, we will
representing clouds and their influence see clouds from top to bottom).
on the energy balance of the planet.
First global estimates of the per-
NASA's CloudSat mission will give us centage of clouds that produce rain.
a never-before-seen 3-D perspective
of Earth's clouds that will answer First vertically resolved estimates of
questions about how they form, evolve how much water and ice are in clouds.
and affect our weather, climate and
freshwater supply. CloudSat observa- First ability to detect snowfall from
tions will fuel discoveries that will space.
improve our weather and climate fore-
First estimates of how efficiently the
casts, while helping public policy mak-
atmosphere produces rain from con-
ers and business leaders make more- densates.
informed, long-term environmental
decisions about public health and the First observationally-based estimate
economy. of how much clouds contribute to the
vertical distribution of atmospheric
Mission Overview heating.
CloudSat will provide the first global Launch
survey of cloud properties that are crit-
ical for understanding their effects on CloudSat will be launched on a Delta II
both weather and climate. The key launch vehicle together with the Cloud-
observations are vertical profiles of Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder
cloud liquid water and ice water. These Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satel-
cloud properties are not obtainable lite.
from current satellite measurement
systems. Mission Duration and Orbit
The mission's primary science goal is The CloudSat mission was designed
to furnish data needed to evaluate and to operate for two years to enable
improve the way clouds are character- more than one seasonal cycle to be
ized in global models. These data will observed, although the radar is
contribute to improved predictions of expected to operate for three years or
weather, climate, and the poorly longer. It will orbit at an altitude of 705
understood interaction between clouds kilometers (438 miles).
and other variables of the climate sys-
Science Objectives
tem. This interaction is complex:
clouds absorb and reflect solar energy Quantitatively evaluate the repre-
and affect the distribution of thermal sentation of clouds and cloud process-
radiation in the atmosphere. The dis- es in global atmospheric circulation
tribution of radiation in the atmos- models (weather prediction and cli-
phere, in turn, affects atmospheric cir- mate models).
CloudSat and CALIPSO will work in concert with a constellation of satellites called the
“A-Train” that together are revolutionizing our understanding of Earth.