Keiji Imaoka + many contributors
Earth Observation Research Center (EORC)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Mini-Workshop on A-Train Science
Tokyo, Japan
March 8, 2013

2

Late 1990s

2003 (JAXA established)

2000s

Climate Change/Water

Earth Observation

GPM/DPRADEOSADEOS-Ⅱ

TRMM/PR

GCOM-CGCOM-W

GOSAT

Aqua/
AMSR-E

EarthCARE/
CPR

Global Warming

Land Use
DisasterMonitoring

ALOS
Communications
COMETSTechnology
Development
ETS-Ⅵ

ETS-Ⅶ

DRTS
Positioning

ALOS-2

ALOS 3WINDSQZSSOICETSETS-Ⅷ

3Demonstrate long-term global observation of various geophysicalparameters for understanding climate variability and water cycle.
 Two medium-sized satellites with three generations to ensure 1015 years stable data records.
5-yearOperation extension

GCOM-W1

1-year overlap

GCOM-W2
GCOM-W3

Launch2012

GCOM-C1
GCOM-C2
Launch2015

GCOM-C3
4

land
cover

Atmosphere

C

Radiation
Budgetaerosol
properties
snow
ice
distributionsnow
surfaceproperties

Cryosphere

cloud
properties
cloud
liquid
water

snow
depth

snow
surfacetemp.

land
surface Land
temperaprimaryturewater
producvapor
tion
soil
moisaboveture
precipigroundtationbiosea
mass
surfacesea iceconcentration.

windspeed
PARoceancolorsea
surfacetemp.

C

Carbon
Cycle

Ocean

W
Water &EnergyCycle

5

GCOM 1st Generation Satellites• 2 types of medium-sized satellites and 3 generations: 10-15 years observation“SHIZUKU”

GCOM-W1 (Water)
Instrument

Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2

GCOM-C1 (Climate)
Instrument

Second-generation Global Imager

Orbit

Sun Synchronous orbit
Altitude：699.6km (on Equator)
Inclination: 98.2 degrees
Local sun time: 13:30+/-15 minOrbit

Sun Synchronous orbitAltitude：798km (on Equator)
Inclination: 98.6 deg.
Local sun time: 10:30+/- 15min

Size

5.1m (X) * 17.5m (Y) * 3.4m (Z) (on-orbit)

Size

4.6m (X) * 16.3m (Y) * 2.8m (Z) (on orbit)

Mass

1991kg

Mass2093kg

Power gen.

More than 3880W (EOL)Power gen.

More than 4000W (EOL)

LaunchMay 18, 2012

LaunchJFY 2015 (TBD)

Design Life5-years

Design Life5-years6• Improvement of land, coastal, and aerosol
observations.
• fine (250m) spatial resolution• polarization/along-track slant view
GCOM-C SGLI characteristics (Current baseline)
Sun-synchronous (descending local time:Orbit
10:30)
Altitude: 798km, Inclination: 98.6deg
Launch Date Jan. 2014 (HII-A)
Mission Life
5 years (3 satellites; total 13 years)
Push-broom electric scan (VNR: VN & P)
Scan
Wisk-broom mechanical scan (IRS: SW & T)
1150km cross track (VNR: VN & P)
Scan width
1400km cross track (IRS: SW & T)
Digitalization 12bit
Multi-angle
Polarization
3 polarization angles for P
obs. for674nm andAlong track
Nadir for VN, SW and T,
869nm
direction+45 deg and -45 deg for P
VN: Solar diffuser, Internal lamp (LED,halogen), Lunar by pitch maneuvers(~once/month), and dark current bymasked pixels and nighttime obs.
On-board
SW: Solar diffuser, Internal lamp, Lunar, andcalibration
dark current by deep space window
T: Black body and dark current by deep
space window
All: Electric calibration

250m over land or
coastal area, and1km over offshore

SGLI channels
Lstd
Lmax SNR at Lstd IFOV
VN, P:CH VN, P, SW: nm
VN, P, SW: W/m2/sr/µmm
T: µmT: NE∆T
T: Kelvin
VN1 380
1060210250
250
VN2 4121075250400250
VN3 4431064400300
250
VN4 4901053120400
250
VN5 530
2041350250
250
VN6 565203390400
250
VN7 673.5202362400
250
VN8 673.5
2025210250
250
250
VN9 7631240350
1200(@1km)
VN10 868.5
20830400
250
VN11 868.5
2030300
200
250
P1 673.52025250250
1000
P2 868.52030300250
1000
SW1 1050
2057248500
1000
SW2 1380
208103150
1000
SW3 1630
200
35057
250
SW4 221050
1.9202111000
T110.80.7300
340
0.2
500/250
T2
12.00.7300
340
0.2
500/250λ∆λ250m-mode possibility

7Late 1990s

2003 (JAXA established)

2000s

Climate Change/Water

Earth Observation

GPM/DPRADEOSADEOS-Ⅱ

TRMM/PR

GCOM-CGCOM-W

GOSAT

Aqua/
AMSR-E

EarthCARE/
CPR

Global Warming

Land Use
DisasterMonitoring

ALOS
Communications
COMETSTechnology
Development
ETS-Ⅵ

ETS-Ⅶ

DRTS
Positioning

ALOS-2

ALOS 3WINDSQZSSOICETSETS-Ⅷ

8Spaceborne Cloud & Precipitation
Radar Development
1995

2000

2010

20152020

1997～Today(by JAXA/NICT)

Ku-band（13.8GHz)

GPM/DPR

2014～(by JAXA/NICT)

EarthCARE/CPR(by JAXA/NICT)

W-band（94.05GHz)（Doppler radar）

CloudSat/CPR(by NASA)

W-band（94GHz)2015～

2006～Today

full spectrum of cloudand precipitation (cloud weak rain- heavy rain)

Ku-band（13.6GHz）
Ka-band（35.5GHz）

long term global
precipitation record

TRMM/PR2005

9

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission- TRMM -Focused on rainfall observation. First
instantaneous rainfall observation by
three different sensors (PR, TMI,VIRS). PR, active sensor, can observe
3D structure of rainfall.
 Targeting tropical and subtropicalregion, and chose non-sunsynchronous orbit (inc. angle 35degree) to observe diurnal variation.
US-Japan joint
missionJapan: PR, launch
US: satellite, TMI,
VIRS, CERES, LIS,
operation
Launch28 Nov. 1997 (JST)

Altitude

About 350km (since 2001,boosted to 402km to extend
mission operation）

Inc. angle

About 35 degree, non-sunsynchronous orbit

Design life

3-year and 2month (stilloperating)Instruments

Precipitation Radar (PR)TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI)
Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS)
Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS)
CERES (not in operation)10

Typhoon MORAKOT (09W): Aug. 5 – 10, 2009 (Big impact in Chinese Taipei)• Rapidly changing precipitation phenomena needfrequent observations.
• Global rainfall map merging TRMM, polar orbiting
microwave radiometer/sounders, and geostationary
infrared radiometers.
http://sharaku.eorc.jaxa.jp/GSMaP/

11

TRMM EraCore Satellite

GPM: An international satellite
mission to be launched by JAXA andNASA in 2014 for precipitation
measurements worldwide
Core Satellite (JAXA, NASA)
Dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR)
GPM Microwave Imager (GMI)• Precipitation with high precision• Discrimination between rain and snow
• Adjustment of data from constellation
satellites (The core satellite will fly in
non-sun-synchronous orbit.)

GPM EraConstellation
Satellites

Constellation Satellites(International Partners)
Microwave radiometers
Microwave sounders• Global precipitation every 3 hours(launch in 2014)(launch around 2014)
2 satellites/3hr

 Improve the accuracy of both long-term andshort-term weather forecasts
 Improve water resource management in rivercontrol and irrigation systems for agriculture

8 satellites/3hr12Flight direction
Dual-frequency precipitation
radar (DPR) consists of-Ku-band (13.6GHz) radar : KuPR
(similar to TRMM/PR)
and-Ka-band (35.5GHz) radar : KaPR

The DPR wasdeveloped by
JAXA and NICT.

GMI
DPR

407 km altitude,
65 deg inclination

GMI: GPM Microwave Imager

Range resolution= 250m and 500m

KuPR (13.6GHz)
Swath width = 245km

5km

KaPR (35.5GHz)
Swath width = 120km

Microwave radiometer
Swath width = 800 km

13KuPR PFM

KaPR PFM under integration
Satellite Photo Credit: NASA1415To reduce the uncertainties in global warming prediction bymeasuring the three dimensional structure of clouds and aerosols,
which are most uncertain parameter in the numerical climatemodels.

• Joint Mission by Europe and Japan• 3 years lifetime• 400 km altitude• Sun-synchronous orbit (Local time: 14:00)

15

16

CPR

 Four instruments- Cloud Profiling RADAR (JAXA/NICT)- Atmospheric LIDAR (ESA)- Multi-Spectral Imager (ESA)- Broad Band Radiometer (ESA)CPR Engineering Model16

17• EarthCARE CPR is the first millimeter-wave Doppler radar inspace for Earth observation developed by JAXA and NICT.
• 94GHz of W-band is selected for center frequency topenetrate deep into the clouds from the orbit and retrieve thecloud vertical profiles and motions.
• The antenna employs offset Cassegrain type, and has adeployable main reflector with the largest aperture for W-band
Earth observation satellite.
• CPR observes clouds along the sub-satellite track.
External view of CPR

2.5mΦ

Observation image by Cloud Profiling Radar
This image is from NASA/CloudSat quick look data and edited

17

Late 1990s

2003 (JAXA established)

2000s

Climate Change/Water

Earth Observation

GPM/DPRADEOSADEOS-Ⅱ

TRMM/PR

GCOM-CGCOM-W

GOSAT

Aqua/
AMSR-E

EarthCARE/
CPR

Global Warming

Land Use
DisasterMonitoring

ALOS
Communications
COMETSTechnology
Development
ETS-Ⅵ

ETS-Ⅶ

DRTS
Positioning

ALOS-2

ALOS 3WINDSQZSSOICETS

ETS-Ⅷ

18

Monitoring global distribution ofGreenhouse Gases from space.
 Observe Carbon dioxide andMethane at 100-1000km spatial
scale with relative accuracy of 1%(4ppm) for CO2 and 2% (34ppb)
for CH4.
 Joint project by JAXA, NIES
(National Institute forEnvironmental Studies), and MOE(Ministry of the Environment) .
 Launch: 23 January 2009 by H2A
launch vehicle
 Mission lifetime: 5 years to 2014
GOSAT satellite at
Tanegashima Spece Center19

TANSO= Thermal And Near
infrared Sensor for
carbon Observation

TANSO-FTS(Fourier Transform Spectrometer)

TANSO-CAI(Cloud and Aerosol Imager)

20

2121

Late 1990s

2003 (JAXA established)

2000s

Climate Change/Water

Earth Observation

GPM/DPRADEOSADEOS-Ⅱ

TRMM/PR

GCOM-CGCOM-W

GOSAT

Aqua/
AMSR-E

EarthCARE/
CPR

Global Warming

Land Use
DisasterMonitoring

ALOS
Communications
COMETSTechnology
Development
ETS-Ⅵ

ETS-Ⅶ

DRTSPositioning

ALOS-2

ALOS 3WINDSQZSSOICETS

ETS-Ⅷ

22

 Operation:
PRISM
24 Jan. 2006 by H-2A Rocket #8
12 May 2011 Mission ended~22 Apr. 2011: Low Load Mode (LLM)> 1,934 days=5.3 years
 Objectives:
AVNIR-2
 Cartography (1/25,000 scale) Regional environmental monitoring
PALSAR Disaster monitoring, etc.
PRISM
PALSARAVNIR-2
Panchromatic Remote sensingAdvanced Visible and Near-Infrared Phased Array type L-band
Instrument for Stereo Mapping
Synthetic Aperture RadarRadiometer type 2

PRISM can acquire triplet stereo
imageries by nadir-, forward-, andbackward-radiometers with 2.5m
spatial resolution in 35km swath.

AVNIR-2 can observe with 10m
resolution in 70km swath, and it
can be changed the observation
area by pointing capability within+/-44 deg. in across track.

PALSAR can acquire the datain not only daytime but alsonighttime as well as cloudy
and rainy whether conditions.

23

Global and high resolution observation by radar and optical sensors

ALOS (Radar&Optical)

ALOS-2(Radar)

ALOS-3 (Optical)

Hyper
multi sensor

L-bandradarantenna

Optical sensors

2006 – 2011

L-band radar antenna

Launch: JFY2013

Panchromatic sensor

Launch: JFY2016 (Target)

 High resolution (1-3 m) and wide observation area (50-350 km swath) Fine and clear images under the heavy rain or night condition24

25

• SMILES: Detection of atmospheric limb
emission in the submillimeter wave range(624-650GHz) with high sensitivity. NICTand JAXA cooperation.
• JAXA is promoting EO missions such as:• Live broadcasting of global phenomena
by astronauts• Kibo Exposed Facility payloads• Compact InfraRed Camera (CIRC)• CO2 Lidar, Doppler lidar, etc.
SMILES

CIRC

26
26

iLOVE

iss-jem Lidar Observation ofVegetation Environment
Tree canopy height,Biomass

APOLLOAir PoLLution
Observing mission

Kibo-EFon ISSUV-VIS/TIR/MW• High-spacial resolution
observation from low orbit(APOLLO: 1-2km, Other:7-25km)• Diurnal variation
observation from low
inclination orbit

27

Observation of canopy height by LiDAR (laser radar) with high accuracy to improvebiomass estimations.
 Experimental proof for future carbon-balance monitoring system of forestry ecosystem.
 The vegetation lidar observes 3D-sturucture of vegetation including canopy-height, which willenable us to estimate the forestry biomass on the ground.
 To verify potential of biomass estimation with collaborative observation between the vegetation lidar
and a L-band SAR system (such as ALOS-2).
Reflected waveform
including 3D-informationof vegetation areas
Transmitted
laser pulse

2×2 arrayed
module todetect slopes

Potential observational partner:
ALOS-2/L-band SAR

H6Schematic diagram of the vegetation lidar mission.

Improve biomass
estimations

28

Coastal and Ocean measurement Mission with Precise and Innovative Radar Altimeter

Wide-swath altimetry with interferometric SAR
Sea surface height/ocean currents

Heritage of SAR(ALOS-2 L-band SAR)COMPIRAX-band SAR antennas

X-band SAR
Cross-track Interferometry

 COMPIRA measures sea surface
height using two SAR antennas.
 Swath width: 160 km (80 kmswath each in left and right side)

T/P, Jason-1, ERS-2, Envisatと漂流ブイデータから計算した平均流速場

Requirements for
Wide-swath measurementof sea surface height29

Measurement of absolute sea surface height with wide-swath andhigh precision will be realized by combining SHIOSAI (Interferometric
SAR sensor; to obtain relative height) and nadir pointing radar
altimeter (to obtain absolute height).
SHIOSAI
Main sensor

80km （5km×16）

Nadir pointing
radar altimeter
Nadir sensor

4km (*)gap

gap

SHIOSAI
Main sensor

80km （5km×16）

20km

Relative height

Absolute height

Relative height(*) with significant wave height of 2 m

30

Specifications
IFOV 4 km
128pixel
FOV
512 kmearth

equator

Wavelengt
hMWIR,
LWIR

GSD

4km X
4km

AreaSphereTime res.

1 hour

128 pixel, 512km

satellite

Observation of atmospheric pollutionin Asia and trans-boundary pollution

Frequent sounding of temperature,
water vapor and wind profiles.

31

Expanding the GOSAT FTS technology
FTSImaging FTS

using 2D array detectorIFOVGOSAT observation

IFOV

Imaging FTS observation

32

•Experiences and existing technologies
in microwave radiometer (MWR) andlarge deployable reflector (LDR).

••

High-res requirements for lower
frequency channels (C and L) toretrieve soil moisture, SST, and SSS.
Applications in agriculture, foodsecurity, and ocean safety.

Large-aparture low-freq MWRTarget:
5km @ C-band
20km @ L-band

33

Submillimeter wave

Cloud Ice

190GHzSubmmcaptures
columnar ice
well
Z>0km

VIS/IR

Variousinformation
included, butdifficulty inquantitative
analysis640GHzThin ice cloudlayer can be
captured bysubmm and IR

IR saturates atthick icecloudsZ>14kmSubmillimeter wave radiometer (190GHz – 1THz) can capture twodimensional columnar ice amount for both thick convective clouds andanvil clouds.

34 Concept of Super Low Altitude SatelliteMuch lower than LEO altitude: about 200km altitude
Cancel the air drag effect by ion engine thrust in order to maintain the altitude
Enable high performance earth observation by small resource sensor
 High spatial resolution in optical Earth observation
 Active sensing such as SAR and LIDAR with low electric power “SLATS” is engineering test satellite before operational Super Low Altitude Satellites
Verification of super low altitude satellite system, measurement of atmosphericdensity in super low altitude, and monitoring on-orbit data about atomic oxygen.
AOFS sensor(QCM sensor)
Exposure points on structural panelOPSMDMIon engine

Overview of Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS)

Orbit

Mission: 250-180km Circular

Size (onorbit)

2.5m(X)×5.2m(Y)×0.9m(Z)Massabout 400kg

Mission life

more than 1.5 year
(dependent on injection orbit)

Missionsensor(1) AO Monitoring System(AMO)(a) QCM Sensor and Controller (AOFS)(b) Material Degradation Monitor(Optical Camera)(MDM)(2) Small Optical Sensor for imaging
the earth(OPS)Specification of SLATS

35

Aqua/AMSR-E②GCOM-C

Water cycle

Spatial distribution ofcloud and aerosols①

Carbon cycleand land cover

Water cycle

Green house
gases

Radiative forcing

sink-source
Vegetation
Land coverproduction Soil moisture⑥High resolution
mappingLand⑤CloudAerosol

GPM/DPR
3D structure ofprecipitation &High-frequent
precipitation map

Precipitation

discharge

ALOS-2,3

3D structure of cloud
and aerosols

Atmosphere
Water vapor

Green housegases

TRMM/PR④GOSAT③

EarthCARE/CPR

GCOM-Wsink-source

Snow Ice Ocean primary

production
Coastal environment

Water cycle

Sea-surface
wind

ISS/JEM ⑦

Sea-surface
temperature

Ocean

Deep ocean circulationPH, nutrients, dissolved CO2

Other variables:
Ozone
Sea level
Salinity
Sea state...

① GCOM-C:
Long-term observation of the horizontal distribution of aerosol, cloud, and ecosystem CO2 absorption and discharge② GCOM-W:
Long-term observation of water-cycle such as the snow/ice coverage, water vapor, and SST③ GOSAT:
Observation of distribution and flux of the atmospheric greenhouse gases, CO2 and CH4④ EarthCARE/CPR: Observation of vertical structure of clouds and aerosols⑤ GPM/DPR:
Accurate and frequent observation of precipitation with active and passive sensors⑥ ALOS-2,3:
Fine resolution mapping by optical and SAR instruments⑦ ISS/JEM:
Demonstration of new missions (e.g., SMILES, GLISM, etc.)

3636

37