EarthCARE MISSION WITH JAPANESE SPACE BORNE DOPPLER CLOUD RADAR; CPR

Cloud is still one of the most powerful uncertainties in climate system, together with aerosol. Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and European Space Agency (ESA) are going to materialize a project named “Earth Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Mission; EarthCARE”. The objective of the mission is to reveal the process from cloud formation with aerosol, to washout as precipitation with radiative evaluation. The new space borne radar; Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) is going to be developed in the cooperation between JAXA and NICT. CPR is the first W-band space borne Doppler Cloud Radar to observe vertical distribution and motion of cloud particle. This quite unique sensor is equipped with a large diameter antenna and high-power 94GHz transmitter to materialize the Doppler measurement. The instrument is now in Engineering Model phase. Flight Model will be completed in 2012. The EarthCARE satellite will be launch in 2013.