Parasol (satellite)

For other uses, see Parasol (disambiguation).

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.

Parasol

Mission type	Earth Observation
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

Satellites in A Train, prior to 2 December 2009: PARASOL is the second, from left

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]

External links

• PARASOL site