... zzzhhh ... have a good trip!!
While passengers enjoy their flight the automated CARIBIC equipment container quietly does its work and records thousands of valuable measurements. December 2004 the new CARIBIC container is loaded the first time into the cargo bay of the Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 "Leverkusen".
 
How does the CARIBIC container look like ?
intrument container on board
The container contains 1500 kg of equipment. Everything is made according to the strict safety regulations of the aviation safety authorities (German LBA). Before each flight the equipment is tested.

All species are measured,
all components which the instrumentation comprises,
and the institutes in charge, are summarized in a table (click here):

How does the CARIBIC container get outside air ?
Outside air is sucked into the container through several inlets tubes underneath the aircraft. These tubes (for trace gases, water vapor and aerosol particles) are mounted on the inlet system. In the longest inlet tube the air is slowed down for 250 to a few m/s. The reason for this is to be able to collect the aerosol. The inlet system also contains a camera for observing clouds. Besides this, the inlet contains 3 small telescopes for observing the atmosphere exactly like certain satellites do.