PARASOL experiment: PARASOL

The « atmosphere and service data Pole » AERIS has been created since December 16, 2014. It gathers and manages all data related to Atmosphere.One dedicated to atmospheric chemistry data (Ether) and the other on aerosols 'nuages' interactions radiation data(Icare). In addition the Sedoo service manages campaigns data or ground based data in the Midi-Pyrénées Observatory and the Climserv service within the IPSL ESPRI project.Parasol is the second microsatellite in the Myriade series developed by CNES. It is carrying a wide-field imaging radiometer/polarimeter called POLDER (Polarization and Directionality of the Earth’s Reflectances), designed in partnership with the LOA atmospheric optics laboratory in Lille (CNRS-USTL). POLDER is designed to improve our knowledge of the radiative and microphysical properties of clouds and aerosols by measuring the directionality and polarization of light reflected by the Earth-atmosphere system.The PARASOL payload draws extensively on instruments developed for the POLDER program, while the spacecraft bus benefits from previous developments on Demeter, the first one of CNES's Myriade line of microsatellites. The resulting reduction in costs and lead times allowed CNES to develop and build the satellite in less than three years. CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) is responsible for the bus, payload command control and ground segments, while the LOA (Atmospheric Optics Laboratory) in Lille, leads the science mission. LOA heads a science working group of researchers from laboratories affiliated to CNRS, the French National Scientific Research Centre: the LMD (Dynamic Meteorology Researc Laboratory), the LSCE (Climate an environmental Science Laboratory) and the SA (Aeronomy Research Laboratory). Launched by an Ariane 5 G+ from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, Parasol has flown 5 years in formation with Aqua and Aura (NASA), Calipso (NASA/CNES) and CloudSat (NASA/CSA) as part of the so-called A-Train during its almost 9 years mission.The PARASOL mission defined in 1999 intends to characterize the radiative properties of clouds and aerosols by taking advantage of its complementarity with the other instruments in the A-. Train formation, which include the CERES and MODIS radiometers onboard the Aqua satellite, a lidar onboard Calipso and a radar onboard Cloudsat. These satellites, for the first time ever combine a full suite of instruments for observing clouds and aerosols, from passive radiometers to active lidar and radar sounders.The synergy between Aqua, CALIPSO, Cloudsat and PARASOL within the A-Train imposed a number of constraints onto the PARASOL mission. The local equator-crossing time has to be carefully adjusted with respect to Aqua (around 1:30 pm) and CALIPSO, which trails Aqua to the east by nine minutes. Furthermore, the launch trajectory had to be orchestrated by CNES operations team as part of an ultra-precise orbital choregraphy to position PARASOL accurately in the constellation. Parasol was launched on December 18th 2004. The ICARE Data and Services Center (Lille) is in charge of the POLDER/PARASOL level-2 and level-3 production and distribution of derived atmospheric products. Level-1 data is distributed by CNES. Level-1 and Level-2 products are daylight orbit passes whereas Level-3 products are global scale, monthly syntheses (averages and statistics). PARASOL products have been calibrated by CNES (level 1) and validated (level 2 and 3) by the algorithm team.
Parasol is the second microsatellite in the Myriade series developed by CNES. It is carrying a wide-field imaging radiometer/polarimeter called POLDER (Polarization and Directionality of the Earth’s Reflectances), designed in partnership with the LOA atmospheric optics laboratory in Lille (CNRS-USTL). POLDER is designed to improve our knowledge of the radiative and microphysical properties of clouds and aerosols by measuring the directionality and polarization of light reflected by the Earth-atmosphere system.Launched by an Ariane 5 G+ from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, Parasol has embarked on an expected two-year mission, flying in formation with Aqua and Aura (NASA), Calipso (NASA/CNES) and CloudSat (NASA/CSA) as part of the so-called A-Train.The informations about the Image Quality of PARASOL would be registered in the inventory sheet Q.I. PARASOL.
[https://parasol.cnes.fr/en/PARASOL/index.htm] [https://parasol.cnes.fr/en/PARASOL/A_produits.htm] [PAR-SP-G9N122-316-CNS] [https://parasol.cnes.fr/en/PARASOL/index.htm]