VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. — A European-Japanese climate research satellite designed to study Earth’s temperature balance was launched into orbit from California on Tuesday.
The EarthCARE satellite lifted off from coastal Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 3:20 p.m. The satellite successfully deployed about 10 minutes later, SpaceX said on the launch webcast.
The name EarthCARE is an abbreviation for Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer.
The satellite is equipped with four instruments to study the role of clouds and aerosols – particles floating in the atmosphere – in reflecting solar radiation back into space and capturing infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface.
The research is a collaborative project between the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
After stage separation, the Falcon 9 reusable first stage booster landed back at Vandenberg, completing its seventh flight.
