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Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations
CALIPSO Satellite
CHARACTERISTICS
CNES Proteus series Mini-satellite
Instruments :
an infrared Lidar,
a visible camera
and a 3 channels infrared imager.
Studies the clouds and aerosols radiative impacts to predict climate evolution.
Quasi sun synchronous orbit at 705 km altitude
Mission lifetime 3 years

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CALIPSO IN THE A-TRAIN

Timeline

 
The Franco-American CALIPSO mission (Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) was selected by the NASA for the Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) program to supply a unique data set of atmosphere vertical profiles measured by a Lidar on-board a satellite.

The CALIPSO satellite, which uses a PROTEUS platform, has a payload composed of one backscattering Lidar, main instrument equiped of a 1 meter telescope, a visible camera, and an infrared imager provided by CNES.
 
CALIPSO fly in tandem with CLOUDSAT radar satellite, and both integrated the A-Train, constellation of satellites dedicated to the observation of clouds, aerosols and the water cycle.   Calipso launch

 CALIPSO mission   Movie [20 Mo] © CNES
 Press pack
 Space and Climate
 

Latest update 05/05/2009
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STATUS
  Beginning of the fourth year in orbit with the laser switch.  
NEWS
May 2009
Third anniversary in orbit for CALIPSO on April 28th!		  
March 2009
Complete success for the CALIPSO laser switch campaign.		  
November 2008
CALIPSO in the press: interview of the CoPI of the mission (in french).		  
October 2008
2nd CALIPSO Exploitation Review on October 6 and 7, followed by the A-TRAIN operational coordination meeting (MOWG) on October 8, 9 and 10 in Norfolk, Virginia (USA).