A novel atmospheric lidar technology: from monitoring climate change over meteorological data at spaceports to the impact of space debris

Abstract Based on a novel autonomous atmospheric lidar technology, existing data gaps in higher altitudes (> 5 km) can be closed and questions with high societal relevance can be addressed. Continuous day- and nighttime high-resolution data on atmospheric conditions, such as 3D-wind, temperature and aerosol information, across complementary altitude regions from the lower atmosphere to about 100 km help to monitor climate change, improve weather predictions, safely guide rocket launches and even monitor the impact of burnt-up space debris on the atmosphere.