29107 - CLOUDSAT

CLOUDSAT is an American meteorological satellite that was launched by a Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg AFB at 11:02 UT on 2006 April 28. It works in concert with the co-launched CALIPSO, as well as the three earlier satellites (AQUA, PARASOL, and AURA), all forming what is called the A-Train. All five have almost the same orbit, crossing the equator within 15 minutes of each other.

CLOUDSAT carries a single radar, CPR (Cloud Profiling Radar) to obtain the reflectivity of the clouds. It transmits and receives at 94 GHz (3.2 mm wavelength) pulses of width 3.3 microseconds, through a two-meter dish at a rate of 4,300 pps. The reflectivity is obtained at a height-resolution of 500 m, and width resolution of about 2 km. The initial orbital parameters of CLOUDSAT were period 98.6 min, apogee 690 km, perigee 689 km, and inclination 98.2 deg.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2006-04-28
Launch Vehicle: Delta II
Launch Site: Vandenberg AFB, United States