EarthCARE pre-launch press briefing

## Unveiling Earth’s Atmospheric Secrets: The EarthCARE Mission Takes Flight

Clouds and aerosols, the tiny particles suspended in the air, play a complex and crucial role in regulating Earth’s energy balance. They act as both a shield and a blanket, reflecting sunlight back into space and trapping heat radiated from the Earth’s surface. Understanding their intricate interplay is vital for accurately predicting climate change and improving weather forecasts.

Enter EarthCARE, a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), poised to revolutionize our understanding of these atmospheric components. Scheduled for launch in 2024, this ambitious endeavor will paint a detailed picture of clouds and aerosols, providing invaluable data for climate research, refining climate models, and enhancing weather prediction capabilities.

At the recent EarthCARE pre-launch press briefing, a panel of experts shed light on the mission’s objectives and its groundbreaking instruments. Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes at ESA, emphasized the mission’s significance in addressing the pressing issue of climate change. Dirk Bernaerts, EarthCARE project manager and Acting Head of Earth Explorers Division at ESA, highlighted the mission’s unique set of instruments, including a cloud profiling radar, a lidar, and a multi-spectral imager, working in synergy to provide comprehensive data on cloud and aerosol properties.

Futoshi Takiguchi, Vice President and Director General for the Space Technology Directorate at JAXA, underscored the importance of international collaboration in tackling global challenges. Eiichi Tomita, EarthCARE/CPR Project Manager at JAXA, and Maximilian Sauer, EarthCARE Project Manager at Airbus, provided technical insights into the instruments and the spacecraft itself.

EarthCARE’s sophisticated instruments will measure cloud and aerosol properties with unprecedented accuracy, enabling scientists to study their interactions with each other and with the Earth’s radiation budget. This data will be crucial for refining climate models, which are essential tools for predicting future climate scenarios and informing mitigation strategies.

Furthermore, EarthCARE’s data will enhance weather forecasts by providing more accurate information on cloud cover and precipitation. This will improve the prediction of extreme weather events, leading to better preparedness and reduced risks for communities worldwide.

The EarthCARE mission represents a significant leap forward in our understanding of the complex interplay between clouds, aerosols, and climate. By unraveling the secrets of Earth’s atmosphere, this mission will provide invaluable insights for tackling the challenges of a changing climate and ensuring a sustainable future for our planet.