News: Radio Astronomy Notice

CloudSat is operating during the sunlit portion of each orbit, but it does NOT operate during the nighttime. The web-based orbit prediction tool can be used to determine when CloudSat will fly over your observatory:

http://www-angler.larc.nasa.gov/cloudsat/

CloudSat is not part of A-Train and we are no longer in an exactly-repeating (16 day) orbit, so this web-based predictor should be used regularly.

The CPR boresight is offset along-track from the satellite nadir by 0.16 deg, and this configuration is stable. That means that the CPR boresight is approximately ~1.9 km ahead of the sub-satellite (nadir) position.

Plans are continuing on a final maneuver that will return CloudSat to the A-Train constellation behind CALIPSO currently scheduled for May 15, 2012.

If you have any additional questions, please contact me at:

dvane@jpl.nasa.gov

Sincerely,
Deborah Vane
CloudSat Project Manager

Last Updated: May 11, 2012.