Satellite
The CALIPSO satellite is constituted of:
- a PROTEUS platform (reconfigurable platform for observing, telecommunications, and scientific purposes), designed for 500 kg mass satellites at launch.
- a payload constituted of:
- a backscattering Lidar (main instrument (532 nm and 1064 nm with polarizer), equipped with a 1-metre diameter telescope),
- a visible Camera (WFC: Wide-Field Camera),
- an Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR).
The satellite's main characteristics are:
Mass | 635 kg | |
Power | 560 W | |
S band telemetry | 727 kbps for telemetry 4kbps for telecommands | |
X band telemetry | 80 Mbit/s | |
Mission lifetime | 3 years |
The satellite has been put into orbit by a SELV B Class (Delta2) launcher supplied by NASA, and launched from Vandenberg, in double launch configuration with CLOUDSAT.