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Mission
The Global Observing SATellite for Greenhouse gases and Water cycle (GOSAT-GW※1) is an Earth observation satellite that is responsible for the greenhouse gases observation missions (led by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and the National Institute for Environmental Studies) and the water cycle variation observation missions (led by JAXA). In order to continue and expand missions on the water cycle variation observation by SHIZUKU (GCOM-W※2, launched in 2012) and on the greenhouse gases observation by IBUKI (GOSAT※3, 2009) and IBUKI-2 (GOSAT-2※3, 2018), GOSAT-GW will carry two successor sensors, the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3 (AMSR3) developed by JAXA, and the Total Anthropogenic and Natural emissions mapping SpectrOmeter-3 (TANSO-3) developed by JAXA under contract with the Ministry of the Environment.
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is selected as the primary manufacturer of the satellite and its onboard sensors.
※1 The Global Observing SATellite for Greenhouse gases and Water cycle
※2 The Global Change Observation Mission – Water
※3 The Greenhouse gases Observing SATellites
GOSAT-GW and its onboard sensors
①AMSR3
(Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3)
The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3 (AMSR3) observes weak microwaves naturally emitted from the land and ocean surfaces and in the atmosphere.
Number of frequency bands of AMSR3 is increased compared to that of AMSR2 to enable observations of snowfall and water vapor in the upper atmosphere.
②TANSO-3
(Total Anthropogenic and Natural emissions mapping SpectrOmeter-3)
The Total Anthropogenic and Natural emissions mapping SpectrOmeter-3 (TANSO-3) sensor, developed by JAXA under contract with the Ministry of the Environment, is the successor to the TANSO-FTS-2※4 on IBUKI-2. TANSO-3 uses grating imaging spectrometer, replacing the Fourier transform spectroscopy used in TANSO-FTS-2. TANSO-3 enables spatially detailed observation of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). With TANSO-3, we will also newly observe nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
※4 TANSO-FTS-2: Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observation - Fourier Transform Spectrometer-2
GOSAT-GW Technologies
POINT 1: Advantages of AMSR3
POINT 2: Advantages of TANSO-3
The amazing technology used in AMSR3
The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3 (AMSR3) on GOSAT-GW is the successor of the AMSR2 on GCOM-W (SHIZUKU) and aims to realize the world's top-performing microwave radiometer.
Microwave radiometer can observe physical quantities related to water over the land and sea surfaces, and insides the clouds by its cloud penetrating capability. Since nighttime observations are also possible, it can make observations at any time of day in all-weather conditions.
AMSR3 will expand observation capability of AMSR2 by the additional 166 and 183 GHz frequency bands, improving accuracy of water vapor analysis in numerical weather prediction as well as snowfall retrievals.
The amazing technology used by TANSO-3
The Total Anthropogenic and Natural emissions mapping SpectrOmeter-3 (TANSO-3) on board GOSAT-GW is the successor to TANSO-FTS-2 on IBUKI-2 and improves the estimation accuracy of greenhouse gas emissions by observing a wide range of greenhouse gases on Earth with high precision.
The novel feature of TANSO-3 is a grating imaging spectrometer that replaces the Fourier transform method used by TANSO-FTS and TANSO-FTS-2. So rather than performing point-based observation as had been done previously, TANSO-3 performs surface-based observation. This upgrade means that the sensor can acquire considerably more observation data. TANSO-3 has two observation modes:
- ・In Wide mode, TANSO-3 observes an area with a spatial resolution of 10 km over a swath at least 911 km wide.
- ・In Focus mode, TANSO-3 can carry out the detailed observation with a spatial resolution of 3 km over a swath at least 90 km wide.
Specifications
Specifications and Launch Date of GOSAT-GW
Satellite name
GOSAT-GW
<Reference satellite>
GOSAT-2 (IBUKI-2)
GCOM-W (SHIZUKU)
Mission instruments
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3
(AMSR3)
Total Anthropogenic and Natural emissions mapping SpectrOmeter-3
(TANSO-3)
Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observation - Fourier Transform Spectrometer-2
(TANSO-FTS-2)
Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observation - Cloud and Aerosol Imager-2
(TANSO-CAI-2)
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2
(AMSR2)
Spacecraft lunch Mass
Approximately 2.6 t
1.8 t
Approximately 2 t
Power generation (EOL)
Approximately 5,300 W
5,000 W
3,880 W or more
Designed lifetime
7 years or more
5 years
5 years
Orbit type
Synchronous sub-recurrent orbit
Synchronous sub-recurrent orbit
Synchronous sub-recurrent orbit
Altitude
666 km(Same as GOSAT (IBUKI))
613 km
699.6 km
Recurrent period
3 days
6 days
16 days
Local Sun Time
Ascending node:
13:30±15 minutes
(Same as GCOM-W (SHIZUKU))
Descending node:
13:00±15 minutes
Ascending node:
13:30±15 minutes
Launch date
JFY 2024 (planned)
October 29, 2018
May 18, 2012
The amazing technology used in AMSR3
The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3 (AMSR3) on GOSAT-GW is the successor of the AMSR2 on GCOM-W (SHIZUKU) and aims to realize the world's top-performing microwave radiometer.
Microwave radiometer can observe physical quantities related to water over the land and sea surfaces, and insides the clouds by its cloud penetrating capability. Since nighttime observations are also possible, it can make observations at any time of day in all-weather conditions.
AMSR3 will expand observation capability of AMSR2 by the additional 166 and 183 GHz frequency bands, improving accuracy of water vapor analysis in numerical weather prediction as well as snowfall retrievals.
The amazing technology used by TANSO-3
The Total Anthropogenic and Natural emissions mapping SpectrOmeter-3 (TANSO-3) on board GOSAT-GW is the successor to TANSO-FTS-2 on IBUKI-2 and improves the estimation accuracy of greenhouse gas emissions by observing a wide range of greenhouse gases on Earth with high precision.
The novel feature of TANSO-3 is a grating imaging spectrometer that replaces the Fourier transform method used by TANSO-FTS and TANSO-FTS-2. So rather than performing point-based observation as had been done previously, TANSO-3 performs surface-based observation. This upgrade means that the sensor can acquire considerably more observation data. TANSO-3 has two observation modes:
- ・In Wide mode, TANSO-3 observes an area with a spatial resolution of 10 km over a swath at least 911 km wide.
- ・In Focus mode, TANSO-3 can carry out the detailed observation with a spatial resolution of 3 km over a swath at least 90 km wide.
Specifications
Specifications and Launch Date of GOSAT-GW
| Satellite name | GOSAT-GW | <Reference satellite> | |
| GOSAT-2 (IBUKI-2) | GCOM-W (SHIZUKU) | ||
| Mission instruments |
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3 (AMSR3) Total Anthropogenic and Natural emissions mapping SpectrOmeter-3 (TANSO-3) |
Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observation - Fourier Transform Spectrometer-2 (TANSO-FTS-2) Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observation - Cloud and Aerosol Imager-2 (TANSO-CAI-2) |
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) |
| Spacecraft lunch Mass | Approximately 2.6 t | 1.8 t | Approximately 2 t |
| Power generation (EOL) | Approximately 5,300 W | 5,000 W | 3,880 W or more |
| Designed lifetime | 7 years or more | 5 years | 5 years |
| Orbit type | Synchronous sub-recurrent orbit | Synchronous sub-recurrent orbit | Synchronous sub-recurrent orbit |
| Altitude | 666 km(Same as GOSAT (IBUKI)) | 613 km | 699.6 km |
| Recurrent period | 3 days | 6 days | 16 days |
| Local Sun Time |
Ascending node: 13:30±15 minutes (Same as GCOM-W (SHIZUKU)) |
Descending node: 13:00±15 minutes |
Ascending node: 13:30±15 minutes |
| Launch date | JFY 2024 (planned) | October 29, 2018 | May 18, 2012 |