Implementation: The Asher Space Research Institute at the Technion, Tel Aviv University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC); from the French side – CNES together with various French research laboratories.
The C³IEL project (short for Cluster for Cloud evolution, ClImatE and Lightning) is an innovative space mission jointly operated by the space agencies of Israel (ISA) and France (CNES). The goal of the project is to study convective clouds (the common cotton-like cumulonimbus clouds) using an unprecedented technological combination.
A Revolution in Cloud and Climate Research
Clouds are a key component of the Earth's climate system in general, and the water cycle in particular. However, there is still a lot of uncertainty about their evolution and their role in climate change. Tracking cloud velocity requires measuring their rate of evolution with high accuracy, and this is precisely what the C³IEL project is designed to provide. The C³IEL mission will provide new and revolutionary insights into this issue through the use of advanced nanosatellites.
The project will include an array of two identical nanosatellites that will fly in a train formation and will photograph the same cloud scene from different angles. Each satellite will carry five cameras that will monitor the dynamics of the clouds and their surroundings:
A CLOUD camera in the visible spectrum with a resolution of about twenty meters.
Three cameras with infrared (WV) sensors to measure water vapor at a resolution of 125 meters.
A LOIP camera for measuring electrical activity in clouds (lightning).
The main innovation of the mission lies in the method of photography and processing, which is carried out each time for a period of 200 seconds: the two satellites will simultaneously make 11 observations of the same cloud system every 20 seconds, only from different angles of view. This method will enable three-dimensional imaging of the clouds and the measurement of their rate of growth.
Objectives of the C³IEL mission
The project aspires to achieve a number of scientific goals:
High-resolution quantification of the development of convective clouds.
Studying the relationship between clouds and water vapor at different levels in the atmosphere.
To study the impact of the dynamic and microphysical properties of clouds on their electrical activity.
Understanding the different roles of rising air currents in clouds and aerosols (tiny particles that float in the atmosphere) on the effect of the clouds’ radiation.
Principal Partners
On the Israeli side, the project is being led by the Israel Space Agency (ISA) through the Asher Space Research Institute at the Technion (ASRI), in cooperation with the French Space Agency (CNES). On the scientific side of the project, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Technion, Tel Aviv University, and Reichman University are partners in cooperation with various French research laboratories.
Schedule
The project is currently in the developmental stages, with the launch scheduled for 2028. The Israel Space Agency expects the mission to last between two to three years and will provide unprecedented data that will help improve weather and climate forecasting models.
The scientific outcomes of the C³IEL mission are expected to improve significantly our understanding of the impact of clouds on weather, thunderstorms, and climate, and consequently to lead to more accurate forecasts and a significant reduction in uncertainties in understanding human impact on climate change.