WEBVTT FILE

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The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, or CATS is a new instrument

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for the Space Station, that will measure and characterize

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the world-wide distribution of clouds and tiny aerosols particles or tiny

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atmospheric particles in the Earth's atmosphere. CATS is

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spectacular opportunity utilize the Space Station infrasturture

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to obtain important Earth science measurements at a modest cost

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As the first instrument for Earth science to be develop at Goddard

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Space Flight Center and installed on Space Station, CATS will provide capabilities

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that haven't been demonstrated before from space. CATS a

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remote sensing instrument or LiDAR that provides measurements of clouds and particles

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in the Earth atmosphere. LiDAR works alike radar, except we use

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low energy pulses of visible and near visible laser light.

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The CATS instrument consists of two lasers, each having different characteristic.

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a receiving telescope and special photon counting detectors.

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Overall, CATS packs a significant scientific capability and a lot of technology

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into a package about the size of a household refrigerator.

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LiDAR works by sending discrete pulses of laser light into the

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atmosphere and detecting the small fraction of light that scatters from particles.

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CATS will generate profiles of clouds and particles in the Earth's atmosphere

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to identify the present in height of clouds and particulate layers.

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Detailed observation of clouds and particles are important for many reasons.

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But three key uses are for providing information

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on real time hazard events, such as volcanic eruptions, for studies of

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energy balance, that's climate change, and for examine the affects of man-made and

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natural pollutants on air quality, health affects. Let's take each of these

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three points in order. For example, CATS can determine the top and bottom height

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of volcanic plumes. That information can be used to make

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better decisions on airplane routing and cancellations. The volcanic

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eruption in Iceland in 2010 resulted in almost

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a hundred thousands canceled flights and cost nearly two billion dollars, because airlines

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dare not send planes any where into or near plumes for fear of damaging the engines.

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Second, CATS permits study of clouds

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Clouds are the largest uncertainties in predicting climate change because

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clouds are the key regulator of the planets average temperature.

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For scientists to create more accurate climate models, they have to include better representation of clouds.

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Which means they need more information on to which base their models.

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Third, small particles, such as dust blown from deserts, smoke from

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intense forest fires, or man-made pollutants can have significant impact

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on the Earth's climate and on human health an air quality.

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CATS data will also be used to improve computer models of

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clouds and aerosols particles. Right now the vertical distributions and the mirco

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physical properties of atmospheric particles are often poorly resolved by

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computer models. To improve the quality of the simulations

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requires real time data about the particle type and height.

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LiDAR can provide that vertical distributions and we know that will address

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one of the biggest weaknesses in the models at this moment.

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The Space Station orbit is a good fit for CATS, because the station transits over and along

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primary aerosols transport routes in the atmosphere. Data from CATS

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will be transmitted to the ground continuously and near real time to be

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promptly assimilated into computer models to create improvements in those

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models. That real time data capability is made possible

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by the Space Station communications infrasture.

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On the whole, CATS is a cost effective way to demonstrate new technology

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and new measurements that will inform future satellite missions.

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The build cost approach embrased by the CATS team is a fiscally responsible

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way to obtain important Earth science measurements and being able

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utilized the Space Station as a platform begins a new and exciting era for Earth science.

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An that in a nutshell, is the why and wherefore of CATS.

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CATS is set to launch later this year on SpaceX 5 and we are

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very much looking forward to this exciting new Earth science capability.

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