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Aqua carries two CERES instruments, the fourth and fifth CERES to fly in space. The first CERES was launched in November 1997 on board the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, and the next two CERES were launched in December 1999 on Terra. The TRMM and Terra CERES have obtained levels of accuracy never before achieved for comprehensive Earth radiation-budget measurements. All the CERES instruments have the capability of operating in either of two scanning modes: fixed azimuth plane scanning, where the scan lines are perpendicular to the path
of the satellite, and rotating azimuth plane scanning, where the scan
lines are at wide range of angles with respect to the satellite's path.
The paired CERES on Terra and on Aqua provide both of those missions with the possibility of coincident fixed azimuth plane
scanning from one CERES and rotating azimuth plane scanning from the other CERES, enhancing the quality of the final products.
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