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... > Instruments > Earth Remote Sensing Instruments > Active Remote Sensing > Profilers/Sounders > Lidar/Laser Sounders > CATS

Preferred term

CATS  

Definition

  • The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS), launched on 10 January 2015, is a lidar remote sensing instrument that provides range-resolved profile measurements of atmospheric aerosols and clouds. Data from CATS is used to derive properties of cloud/aerosol layers including: layer height, layer thickness, backscatter, optical depth, extinction, and depolarization-based discrimination of particle type. The instrument is located on the Japanese Experiment Module – Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) on the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS orbit is a 51-degree inclination orbit at an altitude of about 405 km. This orbit provides more comprehensive coverage of the tropics and mid-latitudes than sun-synchronous orbiting sensors, with nearly a three-day repeat cycle. CATS is intended to operate on-orbit for at least six months, and up to three years. The CATS payload is designed to provide a combination of long-term operational science, in-space technology demonstration, and technology risk reduction for future Earth Science missions. Science Goals: The measurements of atmospheric clouds and aerosols provided by the CATS payload will be used for three main science objectives: 1. Provide real-time observations of aerosol vertical distribution as inputs to global models. The vertical profile information obtained by CATS, particularly at multiple wavelengths and with depolarization information obtained in Modes 1 and 3, provides height location of cloud and aerosol layers, as well as information on particle size and shape. 2. Extend the space-based lidar record for continuity in the lidar climate observations. The CATS instrument will provide measurements of cloud and aerosol profiles similar to CALIPSO, filling in the data gap, so this information can continually be used to improve climate models and our understanding of the Earth system and climate feedback processes. 3. Advance technology in support of future space-based lidar mission development by demonstrating the ability to retrieve vertical profiles using the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) technique and 355 nm wavelength. Modes of Operation: To meet these three science goals, CATS operates in three different modes using four instantaneous fields of view (IFOV): Mode 1 Multi-beam backscatter detection at 1064 and 532 nm, with depolarization measurement at both wavelengths. Mode 2 Demonstration of HSRL aerosol measurements. Mode 3 Demonstration of 355-nm profiling. Group: Instrument_Details Entry_ID: CATS Group: Instrument_Identification Instrument_Category: Earth Remote Sensing Instruments Instrument_Class: Active Remote Sensing Instrument_Type: Profilers/Sounders Instrument_Subtype: Lidar/Laser Sounders Short_Name: CATS Long_Name: Cloud-Aerosol Transport System End_Group Group: Instrument_Associated_Sensors Short_Name: HSRL Short_Name: LIDAR End_Group Group: Associated_Platforms Short_Name: ISS End_Group Group: Spectral_Frequency_Information Wavelength_Keyword: INFRARED > REFLECTED Spectral_Frequency_Coverage_Range: 1064 nm End_Group Group: Spectral_Frequency_Information Wavelength_Keyword: VISIBLE Spectral_Frequency_Coverage_Range: 532 nm End_Group Group: Spectral_Frequency_Information Wavelength_Keyword: ULTRAVIOLET Spectral_Frequency_Coverage_Range: 355 nm End_Group Online_Resource: https://cats.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Sample_Image: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/cats_on_iss_print.jpg Creation_Date: 2015-08-21 Group: Instrument_Logistics Instrument_Start_Date: 2015-01-10 Instrument_Owner: NASA End_Group End_Group (en)

Broader concept

Change note

  • 2015-01-12 20:27:55.0 [saritz] Insert Concept add broader relation (CATS [3c5cf319-3005-44c3-8b27-3544e862da89,106693] - Lidar/Laser Sounders [7c13f166-8711-4d2f-9251-4635002c6c31,74855]);
  • 2015-01-12 20:31:27.0 [saritz] insert AltLabel (id: null text: Cloud-Aerosol Transport System language code: en); insert Definition (id: null text: The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS), launched 2015-01-10 aboard SpaceX CRS-5), is a lidar remote sensing instrument that will provide range-resolved profile measurements of atmospheric aerosols and clouds from the International Space Station (ISS). CATS is intended to operate on-orbit for at least six months, and up to three years. language code: en);
  • 2020-09-14 15:10:24.0 [sritz] update Definition (The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS), launched on 10 January 2015, is a lidar remote sensing instrument that provides range-resolved profile measurements of atmospheric aerosols and clouds. Data from CATS is used to derive properties of cloud/aerosol layers including: layer height, layer thickness, backscatter, optical depth, extinction, and depolarization-based discrimination of particle type. The instrument is located on the Japanese Experiment Module – Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) on the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS orbit is a 51-degree inclination orbit at an altitude of about 405 km. This orbit provides more comprehensive coverage of the tropics and mid-latitudes than sun-synchronous orbiting sensors, with nearly a three-day repeat cycle. CATS is intended to operate on-orbit for at least six months, and up to three years. The CATS payload is designed to provide a combination of long-term operational science, in-space technology demonstration, and technology risk reduction for future Earth Science missions. Science Goals: The measurements of atmospheric clouds and aerosols provided by the CATS payload will be used for three main science objectives: 1. Provide real-time observations of aerosol vertical distribution as inputs to global models. The vertical profile information obtained by CATS, particularly at multiple wavelengths and with depolarization information obtained in Modes 1 and 3, provides height location of cloud and aerosol layers, as well as information on particle size and shape. 2. Extend the space-based lidar record for continuity in the lidar climate observations. The CATS instrument will provide measurements of cloud and aerosol profiles similar to CALIPSO, filling in the data gap, so this information can continually be used to improve climate models and our understanding of the Earth system and climate feedback processes. 3. Advance technology in support of future space-based lidar mission development by demonstrating the ability to retrieve vertical profiles using the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) technique and 355 nm wavelength. Modes of Operation: To meet these three science goals, CATS operates in three different modes using four instantaneous fields of view (IFOV): Mode 1 Multi-beam backscatter detection at 1064 and 532 nm, with depolarization measurement at both wavelengths. Mode 2 Demonstration of HSRL aerosol measurements. Mode 3 Demonstration of 355-nm profiling. Group: Instrument_Details Entry_ID: CATS Group: Instrument_Identification Instrument_Category: Earth Remote Sensing Instruments Instrument_Class: Active Remote Sensing Instrument_Type: Profilers/Sounders Instrument_Subtype: Lidar/Laser Sounders Short_Name: CATS Long_Name: Cloud-Aerosol Transport System End_Group Group: Instrument_Associated_Sensors Short_Name: HSRL Short_Name: LIDAR End_Group Group: Associated_Platforms Short_Name: ISS End_Group Group: Spectral_Frequency_Information Wavelength_Keyword: INFRARED > REFLECTED Spectral_Frequency_Coverage_Range: 1064 nm End_Group Group: Spectral_Frequency_Information Wavelength_Keyword: VISIBLE Spectral_Frequency_Coverage_Range: 532 nm End_Group Group: Spectral_Frequency_Information Wavelength_Keyword: ULTRAVIOLET Spectral_Frequency_Coverage_Range: 355 nm End_Group Online_Resource: https://cats.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Sample_Image: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/cats_on_iss_print.jpg Creation_Date: 2015-08-21 Group: Instrument_Logistics Instrument_Start_Date: 2015-01-10 Instrument_Owner: NASA End_Group End_Group); update Definition (NASA CATS home page, https://cats.gsfc.nasa.gov/); update Resource (image); update Resource (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/cats_on_iss_print.jpg);
  • 2020-09-14 15:12:41.0 [sritz] insert WeightedRelation (id: null related concept uuid: 93c5d18c-be62-46c4-9545-42f73a854d85 relationship type: null relationship value: null generated by: null);
  • 2020-09-14 15:13:11.0 [sritz] update WeightedRelation (Platform-Instrument); update WeightedRelation (1.0);

URI

https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/3c5cf319-3005-44c3-8b27-3544e862da89

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