Overview of Japanese Earth observation programs (Conference Presentation)

Abstract

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and Japan Space Systems (JSS) are operating major Earth Observation Satellites. Ibuki (GOSAT) carrying TANSO-CAI and -FTS, GOSAT-2 carrying TANSO-CAI2 / -FTS2, Shizuku (GCOM-W) carrying AMSR2, Daichi-2 (ALOS-2) carrying PALSAR-2, DPR on GPM-core satellite of NASA and Shikisai (GCOM-C) carrying SGLI, are being operated by JAXA under cooperation with some domestic agencies, such as Ministry of Environment (MoE), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). JMA is operating weather satellite Himawari-8 and -9 on geostationary orbit. JSS are operating ASTER on EOS-Terra satellite of NASA. For coming satellites or instruments, JAXA is going to operate CPR on EarthCARE satellite of ESA, ALOS-3 carrying the “wide-swath and high-resolution optical imager” and ALOS-4 carrying PALSAR-3. JSS is going to have HISUI on ISS. JAXA proposed to Japanese government, its Earth Observation program along with new mid-term plan which started from April 2018 for seven years. In addition to follow-on mission studies, several new studies are underway for near future missions, such as Lidar missions, Super low orbit missions and new geostationary missions with large segmented telescope for land observation.