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 multispectral imager.
While the lidar and radar provide profiles of the atmosphere in a rather thin curtain directly underneath the satellite, EarthCARE’s multispectral imager provides a much wider field of view to give context to the profile measurements.
The multispectral imager captures high-resolution images in multiple spectral bands in the visible and infrared spectrum, which will allow scientists to differentiate between various types of clouds, aerosols and Earth’s surface.
The imager provides additional information about the optical properties of clouds and aerosols, aiding in the characterisation of their composition and distribution. In addition, it allows for the generation of a three-dimensional cloud and aerosol field using the atmospheric lidar and cloud profiling radar data. These data are crucial for understanding the radiative impact of clouds and aerosols on Earth’s climate system.
Read more about EarthCARE’s instrument package