Europe's Earthcare space laser mission gets go ahead (BBC)

By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News

Europe is to press ahead with its Earthcare space laser mission, despite a 30% rise in its probable final cost.

The satellite will study the role clouds and atmospheric particles play in a changing climate.

But the difficulty in finding a workable design for the spacecraft's lidar instrument means its total budget will now top 590m euros (£500m).

Member states of the European Space Agency are convinced though that Earthcare will deliver invaluable data.
***
Earth observation is currently the agency's biggest programme, representing a fifth of its total budget or 844m euros in 2011.
***
more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12506847




There's a list of all the ESA satellite missions at the link -- three already launched, five more planned.