
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - On Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the dual spacecraft CALIPSO and CloudSat, removed from its transport canister, is being mated with the second stage of its Boeing Delta II rocket for launch on April 21. CALIPSO stands for Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation. It will fly in combination with the CloudSat satellite to provide never-before-seen 3-D perspectives of how clouds and aerosols form, evolve, and affect weather and climate. CALIPSO and CloudSat will join three other satellites in orbit to enhance understanding of climate systems. Launch of CALIPSO/CloudSat is scheduled for April 21.
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NASA ID
KSC-06pd0680
Date Created
April 8, 2006
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Vandenberg AFB, CA
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