On Vandenberg Air Force Base in California moves toward the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2.

On Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the dual spacecraft CALIPSO and CloudSat, covered by a transport canister, moves toward the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2. There the spacecraft will be lifted and mated with a Boeing Delta II rocket for launch on April 21. CALIPSO stands for Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation. It will fly in combination with the CloudSat satellite to provide never-before-seen 3-D perspectives of how clouds and aerosols form, evolve, and affect weather and climate. CALIPSO and CloudSat will join three other satellites in orbit to enhance understanding of climate systems. Launch of CALIPSO/CloudSat is scheduled for April 21.