GCOM-C Status
November 6, 2023
TANAKA, Kazuhiro
SHIKISAI(GCOM-C) TeamJAXA

2023年11月2日提出版

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GCOM-C Update Successful launch on December 23, 2017
 SGLI First Light on January 1, 2018
 Data release on December 20, 2018. (Version 1)
 Version 3 release on November 29, 2021.
 End of routine operation phase on December 23, 2022. (5 years since launch) JAXA agency review was finalized on July 18, 2023.
 MEXT government review on August 29, 2023.
⇒ GCOM-C achievements and future activities wereauthorized.

GCOM-C Launch
H-IIA rocket F-37
01:26:22 UTC
On Dec. 23, 2017
Japanese name“SHIKISAI”⇒ Post routine operation phase started.

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GCOM-C satellite and ground system status

 Both satellite and ground system are stable since launch.
Satellite

NormalTTC-RF, MDHS-RF

NormalMDHS-DH

NormalMDR tentative stop (May 21, 2018 & Nov. 27, 2021)
MDC 1 frame rejection （3 times since Jan. 6, 2019）
Radiation effect is suspected.

TTC-DH

NormalHKDR tentative stop (Jan. 13, 2020)
Radiation effect is suspected.

AOCS, RCS

Normal

STT-1 maintenance flag change (Aug. 4, 2020 & July 4, 2022)
Radiation effect is suspected.

EPS, PDL

NormalPDL generation power anomaly on Jan. 13 and June 12, 2023. (next page)

TCS

NormalSGLI VNR

NormalVNR tilt stop (6 times since March 2018)
Radiation effect is suspected.

SGLI IRS

NormalRegular TIR health check for noisy detector rejection with 3 months interval.

Ground system

NormalData processing system was upgraded to new STRINS-2/BNFS system.

※All information about GCOM-C is on “SHIKISAI portal” https://shikisai.jaxa.jp/index_en.html
3Satellite system (solar paddle array) Generation power is stable.

Routine Operation Phase

Post Routine Operation Phase

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SGLI onboard calibration
Coefficients from Lunar-Sun-LED cal. are applied since VER.2 data processing (VN & SWI bands).
2 points calibration with black body for TIR bands.

LL1B(λ) = Lorig(λ) / (1.0 + kvt(λ) * D)kvt(λ): calibration constantfrom SGLI/GIRO
time series comparison

D: days from 00:00 1st Jan. 20185

Satellite Orbit（Routine Operation Phase ～ Post Routine Operation Phase）
 Inclination maneuver in June-July 2021 period to maintain local sun time.
 Future inclination maneuver is planned with 3.5 years interval.
40

5 YearsΔλ [km]manouver⊿λ [km]20

WEST→

 Fuels is enough for more than 11 years operation in Post routine operation Phase

0-20

NOON→ ←EAST-40
Orbital dsbris
avoidance-60

10:25:00←morning

Inclination
Manouver10:20:00
10:15:00
300

Fuel [kg] (TLM)

Local Sun Time

10:30:00

scRC04 TNK FUEL kg
250
200
2018/01/01

2019/01/01

2020/01/01

2020/12/31

Routine Operation Phase

2021/12/31

2022/12/31

2023/12/31

2024/12/30

Post Routine Operation Phase

6Data Utilization

More than 8 governmental, 14 local government users and private sectors
焼失面積Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA)

焼失地上部
バイオマス

High latitude Volcano monitoring, etc

アルベド変化による放射輝度の変化

エアロゾル
光学的厚さ

火災前
火災後

MEXT-Program for the Advanced
Studies of Climate Change Projection(SENTAN)MEXT research project

ArCS II:
Arctic Challenge for Sustainability II

Japan Coastal Guard
Fishery Service

Sea volcano monitoring, MDA system （海しる）（JAFIC）

SHIKISAI products（Standard x 29, Research x 14）

14 local government
usage
JAMSTEC

JAPAN Coastal Ocean Predictability experiment(J-COPE)NOAA

CoastWatch
ProgramSatellite data
Plattform service

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GCOM-C CAL/VAL activities & science
AtmosCryshere
corporation

corporation

BurnedAbove Biomass

Corporation withClimete Change
Prediction★

Model prediction,Comparison& evaluation

Climate change
prediction
Aerosol
AOT

Greenland
Observation

Ocean

corporation

Wild Fire Obs.

MEXT SENTAN Program

Land

Satellite derived Snow Grain Size

corportaion

Climate Change
SignalMEXT ArCS II Program

Change of Reflectanceas Climate Change

IPCC cited papers such as
Shimada, R., et al., Inter-annual and geographical variations in the extent of bare ice and dark
ice on the Greenland ice sheet derived from MODIS satellite images. Frontiers in Earth Science

Corporative efforts for product improvementswith various CAL/VAL activities⇒Contribution to the National science program
Such as SENTAN, ArCS II8

Product improvement for the Fishery Users
SST algorithms
improvement is
successful

Ver.2

October 21, 2018
Comparison with fisheries’ information

Good agreement
leads tofishery users benefit

Ver.3

Japanes off-shore SST patterns

DAY：
RMSE = 0.43℃

NIGHT：RMSE = 0.40℃

Comparison with BUOY data
X-Axis： Buoy data （NOAA）
Y-Axis：GCOM-C 250m SST
Better than target accuracy (0.6degC)in all dynamic range（約273K～305K）

Privious GLI-1km
SST
0.7 degC© JAFIC9Summary GCOM-C routine operation phase achievements and future observation plan

were reviewed and authorized.
 GCOM-C satellite and ground system are stable with enough fuel margin.
 Continuous GCOM-C data has been provided to the public since Dec. 20, 2018.
 Further outcome is strongly expected in post routine operation phaseobservation.
Encouragement to the practical use for the social benefits.
 Encouragement to the env. monitoring, process study and model research using
GCOM-C data.
Thank you

Shikisai@ml.jaxa.jp
https://shikisai.jaxa.jp/index_en.html
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