Encapsulating EarthCARE

ESA’s EarthCARE satellite during encapsulation within the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fairing, which protects it during the first stages of launch.

EarthCARE carries a set of four instruments that work together to answer 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. 

Although clouds and aerosols play an extremely important role in atmospheric heating and cooling, they remain a relative mystery – in fact, clouds are the least understood factor in our understanding of how the atmosphere drives the climate system.