A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the EarthCARE satellite is launched from Vandenberg Space Force base in Lompoc, California, on May 28, 2024. A rocket carrying a sophisticated satellite blasted off on Tuesday from California on a mission to investigate what role clouds could play in the fight against climate change.
"They are one of the main contributors to how the climate changes - and one of the least understood," Gillieron told AFP. Higher up, cirrus clouds made of ice crystals allow solar radiation to pass through, heating up our world.Understanding the nature of clouds has become essential, said Simonetta Cheli, head of the ESA's Earth observation programs.
The data will form the first complete picture of clouds from the perspective of a satellite, and help update climate models that estimate how quickly our world will warm.