EO·Atlas
CATS (Cloud-Aerosol Transport System)
The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) is a lidar instrument developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and hosted on the International Space Station (ISS) External Payload Facility.[1][2] CATS uses elastic-backscatter lidar to profile clouds, aerosols, and particulate matter in the atmosphere. The instrument simultaneously transmits at three wavelengths: 1064 nm and 532 nm are cited in agency documentation from cats.gsfc.nasa.gov,[1] while eoPortal records the full 1064/532/355 nm three-wavelength configuration.[3] Laser 2 incorporates an injection-seeded design that enables High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) capability at 532 nm.[3] A 60 cm telescope diameter is reported by eoPortal.[3]
CATS draws heritage from the CALIOP instrument on CALIPSO. The low-inclination ISS orbit enables measurements over tropical and subtropical latitudes, complementing the high-latitude coverage of polar-orbiting instruments.[2][3]
Pricing not publicly listed by operator
Supply chain position
None on record.
- [1]CATS Cloud-Aerosol Transport System homepage, NASA GSFCagency doc2026-06-04
- [2]The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS): A New Lidar for Aerosol and Cloud Profiling from ISS - NTRSpeer reviewed2026-06-04
- [3]CATS ISS deployment - eoPortal Directorycommunity2026-06-04
How to cite this page
Plain text
CATS (Cloud-Aerosol Transport System). EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V. https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/cats-iss (CC BY 4.0)
BibTeX
@misc{eoatlas:products:sensor:cats-iss,
title = {CATS (Cloud-Aerosol Transport System)},
author = {{EO-Atlas}},
publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
url = {https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/cats-iss}
}