The validation and calibration of advanced space-borne earth observation instruments have traditionally relied on ground-based measurements that are capable of providing a “ground-truth”. ESA’s atmospheric missions, and among them the Earth Explorer’s Aeolus and EarthCARE (Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer), are no exception, particularly with respect to the validation of profile products related to atmospheric clouds and aerosols.

Aeolus, ESA’s Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) space mission, provides global vertical profiles of the Horizontal Line-of-Sight (HLOS) wind component in the troposphere and the lower stratosphere. This is made possible by the use of ALADIN(Atmospheric LAser Doppler Instrument); a sophisticated DWL operating in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum (355nm), implemented in a transceiver configuration and tilted 35° from nadir.

EVE (a novel mobile ground-based lidar for the Enhancement and Validation of ESA products) developed by Raymetrics SA and NOA will provide for the upcoming ESA missions of Aeolus and later also EarthCARE, with a well characterized, flexible, mobile reference ground-based lidar system, tailored to the specifics of ALADIN (and also ATLID), thus capable of providing well-characterized “ground truth” observations.

ESA WEBSITE

Raymetrics has been in operation since 2002 and is probably the first atmospheric LIDAR company in the world. Over the last 16 years they have developed a range of highly customizable products suitable for academic, commercial and operational uses.

The polarimetric ground-based lidar system Wall-E is completed in collaboration with Raymetrics and NOA in the framework of the ERC Consolidator grant D-TECT. The objective of the system is to provide the upcoming ESA missions of Aeolus (the first satellite mission to acquire profiles of Earth’s wind on a global scale) and later also EarthCARE (Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer), with a well characterized, flexible, mobile reference ground-based lidar system, tailored to the specifics of ALADIN (a sophisticated Doppler Wind Lidar operating in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum (355nm) implemented in a transceiver configuration and tilted 35° from nadir).

Raymetrics WEBSITE

Black Swan is a branding agency in Athens, serving many of ReACT's requests for design, photography and annual reports formatting. Except from the Creative Department, having also an experienced Marketing and Business Engineering Department (MBED), Black Swan has assisted significantly National Observatory of Greece in formulating the complex 22 million Euro budgeting and sustainability study for Pangea project (PANhellenic GEophysical observatory of Antikythera).

Black Swan Branding WEBSITE