Satellite could provide six more years of weather data

A satellite conceived by a University of Reading professor more than 30 years ago could remain active for at least ten years after a successful first 16 months in orbit.  

EarthCARE is the first satellite proposed by Professor Anthony Illingworth to have been adopted by the European Space Agency (ESA). Last month, ESA announced it would launch the WIVERN satellite – another satellite project conceived by Professor Illingworth, making him the first scientist to have two Earth Explorer satellites in space. 

Professor Illingworth began working on EarthCARE in 1993. The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer features a 2.5-metre-wide antenna and state-of-the-art lidar and radar never before flown in space. A radiometer and a multi-spectral imager are also attached to the satellite, which is powered by an 11-metre-long solar panel. These four instruments will return data on cloud structure and aerosols in unprecedented detail. 

EarthCARE was due to complete its operations in 2028, but an analysis of the fuel reserves on board predicts that it should keep collecting data until at least 2034.  

Professor Anthony Illingworth said: “It’s been deeply rewarding to see EarthCARE exceed our expectations after so many years of working on it. Ten years in orbit would give us the extra long-term data we need to understand unprecedented insights into the complex interactions between clouds, aerosols, and Earth's climate.” 

Since launching from Vandenberg, California in May 2024, EarthCARE has achieved:  

• Already improving your weather forecast - Just 10 months after launch, meteorologists started using EarthCARE's data to improve forecasts of severe weather by better understanding how clouds form and move 

• Seeing inside clouds in unprecedented detail - The satellite reveals what's happening inside clouds - measuring how fast snow and rain are falling, and tracking everything from spectacular rainbow-colored polar clouds to major thunderstorms 

• Tracking wildfire smoke and measuring ocean life - Beyond its main job of studying clouds, the satellite can follow smoke plumes from forest fires and even detect microscopic sea creatures that form the basis of the ocean food chain 

• Spotting a 500-kilometre cloud of insects - EarthCARE detected a massive swarm of flying insects stretching across northern India, initially mistaken for rain clouds until scientists realised the satellite was picking up millions of tiny creatures riding warm air currents 

• Revealing the hidden life of massive damaging winter storms - EarthCARE captured never-before-seen details inside a winter Atlantic storm system, measuring how fast raindrops and snowflakes fall. 

EarthCARE circles the planet every 90 minutes in a 393km-high orbit. To date, it stands as the largest and most complex mission within the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth Explorer programme. 

Images: (all via European Space Agency)

Top: EarthCARE heads to launch facility in USA, May 2024

Middle: EarthCARE data show Saharan dust plume

Bottom: EarthCARE detects snow rain and hail

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