Fully loaded satellite
ENVISAT carries 10 instruments, each dedicated to different environmental criteria. These devices will study the Earth's surface, scrutinise the atmosphere and monitor the satellite's position relative to the ground. The instruments have been divided into three categories:
Surface: The Earth's surface will be monitored by the largest instrument of the satellite, the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR), the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer Instrument (MERIS) and the Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR). ASAR will be used to monitor ocean wave characteristics, while MERIS will help in determining the level of carbon monoxide in the oceans.
Atmosphere: The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmsphere Sounding (MIPAS), the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) and the Global Ozone Monitoring by Occulation of Stars (GOMOS) will keep tabs on the Earth's atmosphere. SCIAMACHY will make the first attempt to study carbon dioxide levels from space. GOMOS will measure the distribution of ozone within the Earth's upper atmosphere by recording how this gas affects light from the stars.
Altimetry: To monitor the position of ENVISAT relative to the ground, the Radar Altimeter 2 (RA-2), the Microwave Radiometer (MWR), the Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) and the Laser Retroreflector (LRR) will be used. MWR can detect changes in levels of water in clouds.