SHIZUKU (GCOM-W1) to Provide Brightness Temperature Products
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has started offering brightness temperature products*2 from the onboard Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) of the Global Change Observation Mission 1st - Water "SHIZUKU" (GCOM-W1), after its initial calibration operation was completed. The SHIZUKU was launched on May 18, 2012. Read more
Global Change Observation Mission 1st - Water "SHIZUKU" (GCOM-W1) Inserted into A-Train Orbit
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the Global Change Observation Mission 1st - Water "SHIZUKU" (GCOM-W1) was inserted into a planned position on the A-Train orbit as a result of orbit control performed on June 29, 2012. The SHIZUKU was launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre at 1:39 p.m. on May 18, 2012. The SHIZUKU is flying in front of the Aqua satellite, thus it takes the most front position in the A-Train until another National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite, OCO-2 (USA) joins the constellation.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the solar array paddle deployment was successfully performed for the Global Change Observation Mission 1st - Water "SHIZUKU" (GCOM-W1) somewhere over Australia via image data. Read more
Japan launches first foreign-made commercial satellite
Japan has completed its first successful commercial launch of a foreign-made satellite. The H-2A rocket blasted off from the space centre on Tanegashima Island in southern Japan at 1:39 am on Friday (16:39 GMT Thursday). The South Korean satellite separated from the rocket 16 minutes after launch, followed by three Japanese satellites. This marks Japan's entry into the launch business. Read more
Japan will launch 4 new satellites, 1 for South Korea
Japan's space agency has stated that it will launch four satellites into space later this week, with one of them for South Korea. This will be the first time that Japan has agreed to carry a payload from another nation. Reiichi Tanaka, a spokesman for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), said yesterday that a HII-A rocket will be used to carry the satellites into space, and will be launched from a remote location in southwestern Japan on Friday. Read more