Results for: CloudSat

NASA’s CloudSat mission, launched in 2006 to study the structure and composition of clouds, has concluded after nearly two decades in Earth orbit. The satellite carried a powerful radar instrument that provided unprecedented 3D images of clouds, revealing their role in precipitation, atmospheric heating and cooling, and storm development. CloudSat worked in tandem with its sister satellite, CALIPSO, which used lidar technology to study the atmosphere. Both satellites have now been decommissioned, but NASA continues to monitor Earth’s atmosphere and climate with a fleet of other satellites.

BAE Systems’ CloudSat satellite, launched in 2006 as part of a NASA mission to study global cloud profiles, has officially ended operations after over 17 years on orbit. CloudSat’s primary mission was to collect data on water and ice content in clouds, precipitation processes, and the impact of clouds on climate.