The name "A-Train" comes from the formation of international, Earth-observing satellites known as the Afternoon Constellation, which operate in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 705 km. Glory will become the seventh member of the A-Train, which is anchored by the NASA Aqua observatory. The close proximity of the different spacecraft within the A-Train allows for coincident observations between instruments on different spacecrafts, providing scientists additional capabilities in their pursuit of answers about the Earth and its climate. Upon joining the A-train, Glory will help researchers better understand two critical forcings of Earth's climate: atmospheric aerosols and total solar irradiance.
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