Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA - May 28, 2024

On May 28, a Falcon 9 rocket soared into the sky from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, marking yet another successful mission for SpaceX. The launch, which took place at 6:20 p.m. Eastern, carried the Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) spacecraft, a joint venture between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese space agency JAXA.

The mission represents ESA's ongoing collaboration with SpaceX for space access, demonstrating the agency's temporary reliance on the private aerospace company. Simonetta Cheli, director of Earth observation programs at ESA, confirmed the successful launch in a post-launch interview, noting that controllers were in contact with the spacecraft and everything was proceeding nominally.

EarthCARE, with a price tag of 800 million euros, is a vital endeavor aimed at studying clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. Equipped with four instruments, including a cloud profiling radar provided by JAXA, the spacecraft will collect crucial data on atmospheric phenomena, contributing to climate and weather models.

Dirk Bernaerts, ESA's EarthCARE project manager, highlighted the mission's significance, emphasizing the importance of observing clouds and aerosols simultaneously to understand their impact on Earth's thermal balance. While similar missions exist, such as NASA's PACE spacecraft, EarthCARE's unique approach offers complementary insights into atmospheric dynamics.