Link to ESA – EarthCARE satellite
Extract from ESA / Applications / Observing the Earth / FutureEO / EarthCARE
« The solar panel is made up of five sections and covers an area of 21 sq m. Its long trailing configuration behind the platform gives the satellite and overall length of over 17 m and, at the satellite’s low orbital altitude, helps minimise atmospheric drag. »
The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) satellite is an European Space Agency (ESA) satellite launched the 29 may 2024 from Vandenberg (California, US) with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The EarthCARE mission has been designed to make measurements of clouds and aerosols and then to know more about Earth’s climate regulation.