EarthCARE’s cloud profiling radar up close

ESA’s EarthCARE satellite carries four instruments, one of which is the cloud profiling radar provided by JAXA. The cloud profiling radar is a 94 GHz cloud radar with Doppler capability that provides vertical profiles of clouds to gain detailed insight into cloud structure. This large dish-like instrument is positioned on the front of the satellite. Stowed during liftoff, the radar opens like a door once the satellite is safely in orbit. During the satellite’s 12-month testing programme at ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands, engineers tested this all-important deployment sequence.

EarthCARE will answer some critical scientific questions related to the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back out to space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth’s surface.