Overview
How do clouds affect climate and weather? With capabilities 1,000 times more sensitive than typical weather radar, CloudSat used millimeter-wavelength radar to measure the altitude and properties of clouds.
With CloudSat data, scientists got a never-before-seen 3D perspective of Earth’s clouds to answer questions about how they form, evolve, and impact our weather, climate, and freshwater supply. This data provided the first global measurements of cloud properties that will help scientists compile a database of cloud measurements to feed into global climate and weather prediction models.
What We Did
We built the CloudSat spacecraft and tested and integrated the Cloud Profiling Radar payload, built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We also tested and integrated other hardware from the Canadian Space Agency.
Both CloudSat and its launch partner CALIPSO were initially part of a constellation of spacecraft called the "A-Train," including Aqua, Aura, and PARASOL, dedicated to studying the Earth’s weather and environment. CloudSat and CALIPSO launched April 28, 2006, from Vandenberg Air Force Base into a polar orbit at an altitude of 438 miles (705 km). In 2018, CALIPSO and CloudSat left the A-Train and were lowered about 10 miles into their own “C-Train.” CloudSat officially ended scientific operations in December 2023 after more than 17 years on orbit.
In 2007, NASA awarded our CloudSat team with a Group Achievement Award for outstanding work in the design, development, assembly, integration, test, launch, and early orbit operations of the CloudSat spacecraft.
An Award-Winning Solution
After surpassing its design life of three years, CloudSat’s aging batteries began to lose power in April 2011. We invented a way that allowed the spacecraft to continue operating and collect data in daylight-only mode. For its mission-saving efforts, our CloudSat team won a NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Award.
Both CloudSat and CALIPSO missions were built on cost-capped budgets for the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program and have delivered high value science far exceeding mission design life.