�@�@ (Left:Image No.1 Right:Image No.2)
September 5,1996 received Place:Hiroshima

Sep 6,1996
NASDA HQ. Tokyo, Japan

The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) received on September 5, 1996, at its Earth Observation Center (EOC) located in Hatoyama, Saitama Pref., the first image taken using the panchromatic band (resolution: approx. 8 m) of an Earth observing sensor called the Advanced Visible and Near-infrared Radiometer (AVNIR) aboard the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) launched from NASDA's Tanegashima Space Center on August 17 this year.

The image released today show Hiroshima Pref., of Japan. ADEOS took it using the pointing function of AVNIR at approx. 11:30 a.m. JST on September 5 when the satellite was flying about 800 km above the East China Sea.

The first image show us the city of Hiroshima, and the area indicated on this image is approx. 8 km X 10 km. On the other hand, the second image is the enlarged version of Hiroshima City, and the area seen on the second image is approx. 1,400 m X 600 m.

Image acquisition of this time was done as part of AVNIR checkouts following image acquisition using multi-spectral bands of AVNIR conducted on September 1 and for calibration of the equipment. NASDA continues the checkouts regarding the ground segments as well as those in space.

AVNIR data will be used for environmental awareness and monitoring of such phenomena as desertification, destruction of tropical rain forests, and pollution of coastal zones, as well as for resources exploration, land use, etc.

Point of contact
NASDA HQ
Tel:03-3438-6107~9
Earth Observation Center
Tel:0492-98-1203