EarthCARE End-To-End Mission Simulator The EarthCARE simulator objective is to provide an End-to-end simulation capability (retrieval algorithms applied to forward model outputs and evaluation of results) which allows to assess whether the science goals / mission requirements can be met. This means that the simulator must be able to support the mission, instruments and system engineer in: quantifying the influence of the individual instruments and their key parameters in the performance of the mission performing engineering trade-offs studies (consolidation of specification of instruments characteristics) quantifying the influence of key subsystems of the platform in the performance of the mission quantifying the influence of failure scenarios in the global performance of the mission. developing and testing novel synergetic retrieval approaches (algorithm development) among the instruments to improve the data analysis and therefore enhance the mission output Assessing data product accuracies and correlations on all data levels (from level 0 to level 2)       Last update: 30 August 2006