PARASOL (satellite)
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{{otheruses3|Parasol (disambiguation)}}
'''PARASOL''' is a [[France|French]]-built [[Earth]] observing research [[satellite]]. It carries an instrument called POLDER which studies the radiative and microphysical properties of [[clouds]] and [[aerosols]].
PARASOL was launched from the french [[Centre Spatial Guyanais|spaceport]] in [[Kourou]], [[French Guiana]] on [[December 18]], [[2004]] by an [[Ariane 5]] G+. It will fly in formation in the "[[A-train (satellite)|A Train]]" with several other satellites ([[Aqua (satellite)|Aqua]], [[CALIPSO]], [[CloudSat]] and [[Aura (satellite)| Aura]]). These satellites, to be joined later by [[NASA| NASA’s]] [[Orbiting Carbon Observatory]] (OCO) in [[2008]], will for the first time ever combine a full suite of instruments for observing clouds and aerosols, from passive [[radiometer| radiometers]] to active [[lidar]] and [[radar]] sounders.
==External links==
*[http://smsc.cnes.fr/PARASOL/ PARASOL site]
{{Space-based meteorological observation}}
[[Category:Earth observation satellites]]
[[de:PARASOL]]