CloudSat
CloudSat was a NASA-led Earth-observation program conducted with Canada to build a global, three-dimensional record of cloud vertical structure and cloud water. Launched on 28 April 2006, it introduced the first spaceborne 94-GHz Cloud Profiling Radar and operated in the A-Train with CALIPSO to improve understanding of clouds, climate, weather, and the water cycle. NASA ended CloudSat science operations and decommissioned the mission in December 2023.
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Identity
- Aliases
- CloudSatCloudSat MissionCloud Profiling Radar MissionNASA–Canada CloudSat
- Name
- CloudSat
- Status
- completed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- CloudSat was a NASA-led Earth-observation program conducted with Canada to build a global, three-dimensional record of cloud vertical structure and cloud water. Launched on 28 April 2006, it introduced the first spaceborne 94-GHz Cloud Profiling Radar and operated in the A-Train with CALIPSO to improve understanding of clouds, climate, weather, and the water cycle. NASA ended CloudSat science operations and decommissioned the mission in December 2023.
- Destination
- Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit at approximately 705 km altitude and 98.2° inclination (later 685–705 km C-Train orbit) for global cloud profiling with the 94-GHz Cloud Profiling Radar
- End Date
- 2023-12-20
- Launch Site
- Outcome
- Originally planned for a 22-month prime mission, CloudSat operated for more than 17 years and produced an unprecedented global record of cloud properties. Its 94-GHz radar observations revealed how frequently clouds produce rain and snow worldwide, improved understanding of tropical cyclone structure and intensification, and supplied critical data for refining weather and climate models before science operations concluded on December 20, 2023.
- Programs
- Start Date
- 2006-04-28
- Vehicle Families
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cloudsat/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 14, 2026 at 12:52:02 UTC
- Updated Time
- September 8, 2026 at 12:28:35 UTC
- Image
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Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles