PARASOL and CALIPSO : Experience Feedback on Operations of Micro and Small Satellites

Abstract

PROTEUS and MYRIADE are two satellites low cost product lines developed by CNES, the first one being a small satellite family, the second one a micro satellite family. PARASOL, launched in December 2004, is the second MYRIADE micro satellite and is operated from CNES Toulouse Space Center (CST). CALIPSO, from PROTEUS product line, launched in April 2006 is also operated from CST . PARASOL and CALIPSO are part of the ATRAIN (Afternoon Train), which is a constellation of 6 satellites coordinated by the Constellation Coordination System (NASA Goddard). CALIPSO (Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) is a three-year Earth science franco-american (CNES/NASA) mission. Its purpose is to study the clouds and aerosols radiative impacts which represent the main uncertainties about the climate evolution prediction. CALIPSO, as well as PARASOL, has integrated the Afternoon or A-Train satellite constellation with an orbit altitude of 705 km, and a nominal inclination of approximately 98.2 degrees, local time being around 13:30 UTC. The PARASOL mission purpose is to perform measurements of the polarized and multi-directional reflectances, on ground areas previously observed by the Calipso Lidar. The “LOA-CNRS” (Atmospheric Optics Laboratory) in the French city of Lille is the Parasol scientific principal investigator. For CALIPSO, there are two principal investigators, one American, the Langley Research Center, located in Hampton, the second located in the French city of Jussieu, the Pierre Simon Laplace Institut “IPSL/SA”.