The Cloud Aerosol Transport System (CATS) was a

light detection and ranging Lidar (, also LIDAR, or LiDAR; sometimes LADAR) is a method for determining ranges (variable distance) by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. It can also be ...

remote sensing instrument designed to measure the location, composition and distribution of pollution, dust, smoke, aerosols and other particulates in the atmosphere. CATS was installed on the Kibo module of the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...

and was expected to run for at least six months, and up to three years. It was launched in January 2015 aboard the

SpaceX CRS-5 SpaceX CRS-5, also known as SpX-5, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station (ISS), conducted by SpaceX for NASA, and was launched on 10 January 2015 and ended on 11 February 2015. It was the seventh flight ...

resupply mission. CATS used a laser operating at three wavelengths (1064, 532, and 355 nm) to determine cloud layer height, thickness, and depth. Some of the applications of the data gathered will be to develop and refine climate models as well as providing insight for future examinations of the atmospheres of Mars, Jupiter, and other extraterrestrial atmospheres. On October 31, 2017, CATS suffered a power failure and the main aperture door was left open. Because the door must remain closed when the instrument is on the light side of the Earth in the Sun on the pass after the failure the primary mirror was pointed towards the Sun and the optics were fried. On June 14, 2018 during a spacewalk

Andrew J. Feustel Andrew Jay "Drew" Feustel (; born August 25, 1965) is an American/Canadian NASA astronaut and geophysicist. Following several years working as a geophysicist, Feustel was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in July 2000. He is the vetera ...

succeeded in closing the aperture door and tied it shut with wire ties. CATS was disposed of on

SpaceX CRS-17 SpaceX CRS-17, also known as SpX-17, was a Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS) to the International Space Station that was launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on 4 May 2019. The mission was contracted by NASA and was flown by SpaceX. Laun ...

when it was replaced by OCO-3.

References

{{Portalbar, Spaceflight, Astronomy Kibo (ISS module) Lidar 2015 in spaceflight 2015 introductions Projects established in 2015 2015 in the United States