Cloud-Aerosol Transport System
The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS), is a lidar remote sensing instrument that will provide range-resolved profile measurements of atmospheric aerosols and clouds from the International Space Station (ISS).
CATS will provide vertical profiles at three wavelengths, orbiting between ~230 and ~270 miles above the Earth's surface at a 51-degree inclination with nearly a three-day repeat cycle. For the first time, it will allow scientist to study diurnal (day-to-night) changes in cloud and aerosol effects from space by observing the same spot on Earth at different times each day.
CATS, a spaceborne lidar instrument that fired more laser pulses than any previous orbiting instrument has ended its operations on the International Space Station (ISS), after a successful 33-month mission to measure clouds and tiny atmospheric particles that play key roles in Earth's climate and weather. Launched on Jan. 10, 2015, CATS was designed to operate at least six months, but lasted five times its life expectancy. On Oct. 30, 2017, the onboard power and data system stopped working and could not be resuscitated. Read about CATS Operation Status and the "NASA's CATS Concludes Successful Mission on Space Station" article.
Disciplines: Aerosols Clouds
| Collection | Disciplines | Spatial | Temporal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_D-M7.1-V3-01_05kmLay_V3-01
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Day Mode 7.1 Version 3-01 5 km Layer |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -90, N: 90), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-02-10 - 2015-03-21 |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_D-M7.1-V3-01_05kmPro_V3-01
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Day Mode 7.1 Version 3-01 5 km Profile |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -90, N: 90), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-02-10 - 2015-03-21 |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_D-M7.2-V3-00_05kmLay_V3-00
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Day Mode 7.2 Version 3-00 5 km Layer |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -90, N: 90), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_D-M7.2-V3-00_05kmPro_V3-00
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Day Mode 7.2 Version 3-00 5 km Profile |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -90, N: 62), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_D-M7.2-V3-01_05kmLay_V3-01
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Day Mode 7.2 Version 3-01 5 km Layer |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -90, N: 90), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_D-M7.2-V3-01_05kmPro_V3-01
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Day Mode 7.2 Version 3-01 5 km Profile |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -90, N: 90), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 Temporal Resolution: 5.92 second |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_N-M7.1-V3-01_05kmLay_V3-01
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Night Mode 7.1 Version 3-01 5 km Layer |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -52, N: 52), (W: -180, E: 180) Latitude Resolution: 50N - 50S Vertical Resolution Range: 30 meters - < 100 meters |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-02-12 - 2015-02-13 |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_N-M7.1-V3-01_05kmPro_V3-01
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Night Mode 7.1 Version 3-01 5 km Profile |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -52, N: 52), (W: -180, E: 180) Latitude Resolution: 50N - 50S Vertical Resolution Range: 30 meters - < 100 meters |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-02-12 - 2015-02-13 |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_N-M7.2-V3-00_05kmLay_V3-00
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Night Mode 7.2 Version 3-00 5 km Layer |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -90, N: 90), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 Temporal Resolution: 5.92 second |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_N-M7.2-V3-00_05kmPro_V3-00
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Night Mode 7.2 Version 3-00 5 km Profile |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -90, N: 90), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 Temporal Resolution: 5.92 second |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_N-M7.2-V3-01_05kmLay_V3-01
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Night Mode 7.2 Version 3-01 5 km Layer |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -70, N: 70), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 Temporal Resolution: 5.92 second |
|
CATS-ISS_L2O_N-M7.2-V3-01_05kmPro_V3-01
CATS-ISS Level 2 Operational Night Mode 7.2 Version 3-01 5 km Profile |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -90, N: 90), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 Temporal Resolution: 5.92 second |
| Collection | Disciplines | Spatial | Temporal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
CATS-ISS_L1B_D-M7.1-V3-00_V3-00
CATS-ISS Level 1B Day Mode 7.1 Version 3-00 |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -52, N: 52), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-02-10 - 2015-03-21 Temporal Resolution: .051 second |
|
CATS-ISS_L1B_D-M7.2-V3-00_V3-00
CATS-ISS Level 1B Day Mode 7.2 Version 3-00 |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -52, N: 52), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 Temporal Resolution: .051 second |
|
CATS-ISS_L1B_N-M7.1-V3-00_V3-00
CATS-ISS Level 1B Night Mode 7.1 Version 3-00 |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -52, N: 52), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-02-10 - 2015-03-21 Temporal Resolution: .051 second |
|
CATS-ISS_L1B_N-M7.2-V3-00_V3-00
CATS-ISS Level 1B Night Mode 7.2 Version 3-00 |
Aerosols, Clouds |
Spatial Coverage: (S: -65, N: 52), (W: -180, E: 180) |
Temporal Coverage: 2015-03-25 - 2017-10-29 Temporal Resolution: .051 second |
CATS-ISS Mission Publications
Lee, Logan; Zhang, Jianglong; Reid, Jeffrey S.; Yorks, John E. (2022). Investigation of CATS-ISS aerosol products and application toward global diurnal variation of aerosols.
Khaykin, Sergey M.; Moyer, Elizabeth; Krämer, Martina; Clouser, Benjamin; Bucci, Silvia; Legras, Bernard; Lykov, Alexey; Afchine, Armin; Cairo, Francesco; Formanyuk, Ivan; Mitev, Valentin; Matthey, Renaud; Rolf, Christian; Singer, Clare E.; Spelten, Nicole; Volkov, Vasiliy; Yushkov, Vladimir; Stroh, Fred (2021). Persistence of moist plumes from overshooting convection in the Asian monsoon anticyclone.
da Silva, Bruno A.; Guerrero, José Carlos; Bidegaray-Batista, Leticia; Simó, Miguel (2021). Description of Latica, a new monotypic spider genus from Uruguay and Argentina (Araneae, Herpyllinae, Gnaphosidae): An integrative approach.
Emetere, M.E.; Omotosho, T.V.; Atayero, A.A.A. (2020). Parametric Investigation of Air Pollution Over Bafata.
Zhao, Yuxin; Li, Jiming; Zhang, Lijie; Deng, Cong; Li, Yarong; Jian, Bida; Huang, Jianping (2017). Diurnal cycles of cloud cover and its vertical distribution over the Tibetan Plateau revealed by satellite observations, reanalysis datasets, and CMIP6 outputs.
Tesche, Matthias; Noel, Vincent (2016). Locations for the best lidar view of mid-level and high clouds.