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The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) was a lidar remote sensing instrument that provided range-resolved profile measurements of atmospheric aerosols and clouds from the International Space Station (ISS). CATS was launched in January 2015.

CATS provided vertical profiles at three wavelengths, orbiting between 230 and 270 miles above the Earth's surface at a 51-degree inclination with nearly a three-day repeat cycle. For the first time, it allowed scientists to study diurnal (day-to-night) changes in cloud and aerosol effects from space by observing the same spot on Earth at different times each day.

CATS, a spaceborne lidar instrument that fired more laser pulses than any previous orbiting instrument, ended its operations on the International Space Station after a successful 33-month mission to measure clouds and tiny atmospheric particles that play key roles in Earth's climate and weather. Launched on January 10, 2015, CATS was designed to operate at least six months, but lasted five times its life expectancy. On October 30, 2017, the onboard power and data system stopped working and could not be resuscitated. The CATS payload appeared to have suffered an unrecoverable fault in its onboard power/data system. 

Visit CATS Mission Page for more information.

CATS Mission Page

Instrument Type

Profilers/Sounders

Instrument Subtype

Lidar/Laser Sounders

Specifications

Resolution

Spectral

532, 1064 nm

Temporal

5.92 sec, .74 sec

Vertical

30 m - < 100 m

Platforms

Related Data Centers/Projects

ASDC

NASA's Atmospheric Science Data Center focuses on Earth science disciplines including radiation budget, clouds, aerosols, and tropospheric composition.

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