The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT''), also known as , is an
Earth observation satellite
An Earth observation satellite or Earth remote sensing satellite is a satellite used or designed for Earth observation (EO) from orbit, including spy satellites and similar ones intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, me ...
and the world's first satellite dedicated to
greenhouse gas monitoring.
It measures the densities of
carbon dioxide and
methane from 56,000 locations on the
Earth's atmosphere.
The GOSAT was developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (
JAXA
The is the Japanese national air and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into orb ...
) and launched on 23 January 2009, from the
Tanegashima Space Center.
[ Japan's Ministry of the Environment, and the ]National Institute for Environmental Studies
The National Institute for Environmental Studies (''NIES'':国立環境研究所, Kokuritsu-Kankyō kenkyūsho) was established in 1974 as a focal point for environmental research in Japan. In 2001 it became an Independent Administrative Institu ...
(NIES) use the data to track gases causing the greenhouse effect, and share the data with NASA and other international scientific organizations.[
]
Launch
GOSAT was launched along with seven other piggyback probes using the H-IIA, Japan's primary large-scale expendable launch system
An expendable launch system (or expendable launch vehicle/ELV) is a launch vehicle that can be launched only once, after which its components are either destroyed during reentry or discarded in space. ELVs typically consist of several rocket sta ...
, at 3:54 am on 23 January 2009 UTC on Tanegashima, a small island in southern Japan, after a two-day delay due to unfavourable weather.[ At approximately 16 minutes after liftoff, the separation of Ibuki from the launch rocket was confirmed.]
Instruments
According to JAXA, the Ibuki satellite is equipped with a greenhouse gas observation sensor (TANSO-FTS) and a cloud/aerosol sensor (TANSO-CAI) that supplements TANSO-FTS. The greenhouse gas observation sensor of Ibuki observes a wide range of wavelengths (near- infrared region–thermal infrared region) within the infrared band to enhance observation accuracy.[ The satellite uses a ]spectrometer
A spectrometer () is a scientific instrument used to separate and measure spectral components of a physical phenomenon. Spectrometer is a broad term often used to describe instruments that measure a continuous variable of a phenomenon where the ...
to measure different elements and compounds based on their response to certain types of light. This technology allows the satellite to measure "the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a super-high resolution."
GOSAT-2
The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite-2
The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite-2 (GOSAT-2), also known as , is an Earth observation satellite dedicated to greenhouse gas monitoring. It is a successor of Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT). The GOSAT-2 was developed as a ...
or GOSAT-2, also known as IBUKI-2 (COSPAR 2018-084B) was launched from Tanegashima Space Center by a H-IIA rocket on October 29, 2018.
See also
* Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2
* Space-based Measurements of Carbon Dioxide
References
External links
GOSAT site
by JAXA
The is the Japanese national air and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into orb ...
GOSAT site
by NIES
GOSAT-2 site
by NIES
{{Use dmy dates, date=December 2016
Earth observation satellites of Japan
JAXA
*
Spacecraft launched by H-II rockets
Spacecraft launched in 2009