PARASOL (Polarization & Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Sciences coupled with Observations from a Lidar) was a French-built Earth observing research satellite. It carried an instrument called POLDER which studied the radiative and microphysical properties of clouds and aerosols.
Mission type | Earth Observation |
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COSPAR ID | 2004-049G ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 28498![]() |
Website | https://parasol.cnes.fr/en/PARASOL/index.htm |
Mission duration | 9 years |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | December 18, 2004 (2004-12-18) |
Rocket | Ariane 5 |
Launch site | Kourou, French Guiana |
Contractor | b |
End of mission | |
Deactivated | December 18, 2013 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Sun-synchronous |
PARASOL was launched from the French spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on December 18, 2004 by an Ariane 5 G+.
It flew in formation in the "A Train" constellation with several other satellites (Aqua, CALIPSO, CloudSat and Aura). These satellites had, for the first time ever, combined a full suite of instruments for observing clouds and aerosols, from passive radiometers to active lidar and radar sounders.
On 2 December 2009, PARASOL was manoeuvred out of the A-Train, dropping some 4 km below the other satellites by early January 2010.[1]
The satellite's mission was formally ended exactly 9 years after launch on December 18, 2013. [2]
Orbital meteorological and remote sensing systems | |||||||||||
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← 2003 · Orbital launches in 2004 · 2005 → | |
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