EarthCARE separates

ESA’s EarthCARE satellite embarked on its journey into space on 29 May at 00:20 CEST (28 May, 15:20 local time) aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US.  Ten minutes after liftoff, EarthCARE separated from the rocket as this footage shows, which was captured by a camera on the rocket.

EarthCARE will shed new light on the role that clouds and aerosols play in heating and cooling Earth’s atmosphere, thereby contributing to a better understanding of climate change.