The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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ESA’s EarthCARE satellite carries four instruments, one of which is the broadband radiometer.
The broadband radiometer plays a crucial role in the mission by measuring the radiative fluxes at the top of Earth's atmosphere. As the satellite travels along its orbit, the radiometer views the atmosphere from three directions, allowing it to accurately quantify the amount of reflected solar radiation and the outgoing thermal radiation emitted by Earth.
This is known as the planet's energy balance. Comparing this to the radiation calculated from the combined observations of the other instruments helps scientists to improve our understanding of the aerosol-cloud-radiation interaction.
Read more about EarthCARE’s instrument package.