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EarthCARE is the 3rd Earth Explorer Core Mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) Living Planet Program, with the fundamental objective of improving understanding of the processes involving clouds, aerosols and radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere [2] [3] [5] [6]. EarthCARE data products will be used to improve climate and numerical weather prediction. The data products include vertical profiles of aerosols, liquid water and ice, observations of cloud distribution and vertical motion within clouds, and will allow the retrieval of profiles of atmospheric radiative heating and cooling [4]. For above mission objective, the EarthCARE satellite hosts four complex instruments, the ATLID, (ATmospheric LIDAR from Airbus Toulouse), the CPR (Cloud Profiling Radar, from JAXA/NEC), the MSI (Multi Spectral Imager from SSTL) and the BBR (Broad Band Radiometer from TAS-UK). The instrument performance verification approach is based on (a) the full performance verification testing done on instrument level, and (b) on Instrument Performance Checks (IPCs) to be repeated periodically on instrument and satellite level. IPCs are designed to confirm that the core instrument performance as verified on instrument level does not degrade after integration on the platform and throughout the overall satellite AIT campaign until launch. Five ATLID IPCs have been defined in close cooperation between Airbus instrument and satellite prime teams, considering instrument performance verification needs as well as feasibility of IPC repetition in satellite AIT. This feasibility refers mainly to satellite AIT limitations for laser hazard protection measures, cleanliness (ISO8 environment), complexity of optical setups, need for limited test durations<1 day and more difficult instrument accessibility (instrument integrated at more than 3m height on the satellite). For the ATLID Lidar instrument, the following IPCs have been defined: (1) Transmit Laser Beam Line of Sight (LoS) stability, (2) Activation of Transmit Laser beam steering mechanism, (3) Laser pulse energy knowledge stability, (4) Overall Receive chain optical response check and (5) Detection chain total noise in darkness. IPC test definition as well as test results from instrument level and satellite level IPC testing will be presented. The trend of ATLID IPC test results is found stable along all test repetitions done until today. Additional presentation content can be accessed on the supplemental content page.
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