The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, or CATS is a new instrument
for the Space Station, that will measure and characterize
the world-wide distribution of clouds and tiny aerosols particles or tiny
atmospheric particles in the Earth's atmosphere. CATS is
spectacular opportunity utilize the Space Station infrasturture
to obtain important Earth science measurements at a modest cost
As the first instrument for Earth science to be develop at Goddard
Space Flight Center and installed on Space Station, CATS will provide capabilities
that haven't been demonstrated before from space. CATS a
remote sensing instrument or LiDAR that provides measurements of clouds and particles
in the Earth atmosphere. LiDAR works alike radar, except we use
low energy pulses of visible and near visible laser light.
The CATS instrument consists of two lasers, each having different characteristic.
a receiving telescope and special photon counting detectors.
Overall, CATS packs a significant scientific capability and a lot of technology
into a package about the size of a household refrigerator.
LiDAR works by sending discrete pulses of laser light into the
atmosphere and detecting the small fraction of light that scatters from particles.
CATS will generate profiles of clouds and particles in the Earth's atmosphere
to identify the present in height of clouds and particulate layers.
Detailed observation of clouds and particles are important for many reasons.
But three key uses are for providing information
on real time hazard events, such as volcanic eruptions, for studies of
energy balance, that's climate change, and for examine the affects of man-made and
natural pollutants on air quality, health affects. Let's take each of these
three points in order. For example, CATS can determine the top and bottom height
of volcanic plumes. That information can be used to make
better decisions on airplane routing and cancellations. The volcanic
eruption in Iceland in 2010 resulted in almost
a hundred thousands canceled flights and cost nearly two billion dollars, because airlines
dare not send planes any where into or near plumes for fear of damaging the engines.
Second, CATS permits study of clouds
Clouds are the largest uncertainties in predicting climate change because
clouds are the key regulator of the planets average temperature.
For scientists to create more accurate climate models, they have to include better representation of clouds.
Which means they need more information on to which base their models.
Third, small particles, such as dust blown from deserts, smoke from
intense forest fires, or man-made pollutants can have significant impact
on the Earth's climate and on human health an air quality.
CATS data will also be used to improve computer models of
clouds and aerosols particles. Right now the vertical distributions and the mirco
physical properties of atmospheric particles are often poorly resolved by
computer models. To improve the quality of the simulations
requires real time data about the particle type and height.
LiDAR can provide that vertical distributions and we know that will address
one of the biggest weaknesses in the models at this moment.
The Space Station orbit is a good fit for CATS, because the station transits over and along
primary aerosols transport routes in the atmosphere. Data from CATS
will be transmitted to the ground continuously and near real time to be
promptly assimilated into computer models to create improvements in those
models. That real time data capability is made possible
by the Space Station communications infrasture.
On the whole, CATS is a cost effective way to demonstrate new technology
and new measurements that will inform future satellite missions.
The build cost approach embrased by the CATS team is a fiscally responsible
way to obtain important Earth science measurements and being able
utilized the Space Station as a platform begins a new and exciting era for Earth science.
An that in a nutshell, is the why and wherefore of CATS.
CATS is set to launch later this year on SpaceX 5 and we are
very much looking forward to this exciting new Earth science capability.
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