Exactly one year ago, the climate satellite EarthCARE was launched. EarthCARE, the Earth Cloud, Aerosol & Radiation Explorer, was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). EarthCARE is equipped with advanced instruments to uniquely observe our atmosphere. With four sensors, EarthCARE collects important data on (the interaction between) clouds, fine dust, solar radiation, and thermal radiation, allowing scientists to gain a better understanding of the atmospheric composition related to climate change. New is that this satellite can measure the three-dimensional composition of the atmosphere. EarthCARE has been in space for a year; what were the highlights?

1. Collaborating for EarthCARE

The four instruments on EarthCARE, namely the cloud radar, lidar, camera, and radiometer, take simultaneous measurements of clouds and fine dust, complementing each other to create a complete picture of the energy balance in the atmosphere. The collaboration between these instruments mainly revolves around combining their data and is made possible by sixteen organizations from nine countries, forming the EarthCARE DISC consortium led by the KNMI. This consortium processes the raw satellite measurements into valuable information for climate research.

2. EarthCARE Makes an Impact

Within 10 months after the launch, 26 of the 33 scientific products were already available. This data improves our climate and weather models, among other things by correcting systematic errors in cloud forecasts. EarthCARE data is now being used, for example, to model the position of fronts and convection processes more accurately. The smoke plumes from wildfires (such as those in Los Angeles earlier this year) are precisely mapped, and air quality forecasts are made more accurate by EarthCAREs measurements.

Because EarthCARE flies at a relatively low altitude, at about 400 kilometers, its expected lifespan is limited. Although EarthCARE was originally designed for a lifespan of about three years, current expectations indicate a significantly longer operational period. However, the ultimate duration remains dependent on factors such as mission operations and solar activity.

EarthCAREs spectacular images of so-called pearl clouds (polar stratospheric clouds or PSCs) have excited scientists worldwide. These high-altitude clouds are both spectacular and mysterious; their pearlescent colors are a wonder for both polar stargazers and atmospheric researchers. With the release of this data between Latvia and Greenland, scientists could compare these clouds with their counterparts over Antarctica.

EarthCARE also provides valuable data for detecting fine dust particles from volcanic eruptions, allowing for their vertical distribution and geographical spread to be accurately mapped.