Inspecting EarthCARE

The EarthCARE satellite mission is currently being tested for space at ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre, the largest satellite test facility in Europe. One of the first tests involved the deployment of the solar wing from its folded stowed configuration, which allows it to fit inside the rocket fairing, to its fully deployed configuration as it will be in orbit around Earth.

EarthCARE will soon be launched to answer some critical scientific questions related to the role that clouds and aerosols play in both reflecting incident solar radiation back out to space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth’s surface. This delicate balance is an important factor in regulating Earth’s temperature.