Roughly the size of a refrigerator, CATS will use the same two laser wavelengths on NASA’s CALIPSO mission, 1064 and 532 nanometers, and it will incorporate a third laser wavelength — 355 nanometers. This will provide more detailed information about the particles in Earth’s atmosphere. (NASA)
Read: Testing CATS in Space: Laser Technology to Debut on Space Station
By reflecting sunlight into space, clouds help regulate the Earth’s climate. This image was taken from aboard the International Space Station, which is where the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) will measure cloud aerosols. (NASA)
In 2010, Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, creating an expansive ash cloud that disrupted air traffic throughout Europe and across the Atlantic. The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) could improve the ability to measure volcanic particles and other aerosols from space. (NASA)
For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/
Filed Under: M2M (machine to machine)