Earth Observation Satellite

Alos Overview

The Japanese earth observing satellite program consists of two satellite series: those mainly for atmospheric and marine observation, and the ones mainly for land observation. The Advanced Land Observing Satellite(ALOS) is the satellite that follows JERS-1 and ADEOS and enhances their land observing technology. ALOS will be used for cartography, regional observation, disaster monitoring, and resource surveying.

ALOS has three remote-sensing instruments: the Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping(PRISM) for digital elevation mapping, the Advanced Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer type 2(AVNIR-2) for precise land coverage observation, and the Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar(PALSAR) for day-and-night and all-wheather land observation. The ALOS was launched by an H-IIA launch vehicle on the Jan.24 2006 from the Tanegashima Space Center.

Images of Data Reception

Image of direct data reception from ALOS

Image of data reception via DRTS

ALOS is one of the world's largest earth observation satellites whose function is to collect global and high resolutional land observation data. Because of the large increase of observation data it will be transmitted to EOC via both DRTS and as a direct downlink. In this way observation data can be rapidly acquired by EOC from all areas.

Alos Characteristics

Launch January 24 2006 / H-IIA
Tanegashima Space Center

Orbit Sun-Synchronous Sub-Recurrent
Repeat Cycle:46 days/Sub Cycle:2 days

Weight about 4,000kg

Observation Instrument