ALOS-2

Advanced Land Observing Satellite 2 (ALOS 2), also called Daichi 2, is a 2-ton Japanese satellite launched in 2014. Although the predecessor ALOS satellite had featured 2 optical cameras in addition to 1.2 GHz (L-band) radar, ALOS-2 had optical cameras removed to simplify construction and reduce costs. The PALSAR-2 radar is a significant upgrade of the PALSAR radar, allowing higher-resolution (1x3m per pixel) spotlight modes in addition to the 10m resolution survey mode inherited from the ALOS spacecraft. Also, the SPAISE2 automatic ship identification system and the Compact Infra Red Camera (CIRC) will provide supplementary data about sea-going ships and provide early warnings of missile launches.

Advanced Land Observing Satellite 2
H-IIA Launch Vehicle Flight 24, launching the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 "DAICHI-2" (ALOS-2).
NamesDaichi 2
Mission typeRemote sensing
OperatorJAXA
COSPAR ID2014-029A
SATCAT no.39766
Websitewww.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/alos2/index_j.html
Mission durationElapsed: 6 years, 1 month, 1 day
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass2,120 kilograms (4,670 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date24 May 2014, 03:05:14 (2014-05-24UTC03:05:14) UTC[1]
RocketH-IIA 202
Launch siteTanegashima Yoshinobu 1
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeSun-synchronous
Semi-major axis7,008.95 kilometres (4,355.16 mi)[2]
Eccentricity0.0001543[2]
Perigee altitude636 kilometres (395 mi)[2]
Apogee altitude639 kilometres (397 mi)[2]
Inclination97.92 degrees[2]
Period97.33 minutes[2]
Epoch25 January 2015, 10:24:51 UTC[2]
 

Launch

ALOS-2 was launched from Tanegashima, Japan, on 24 May 2014 by a H-IIA rocket.[3]

Mission

The satellite contains a 1.2 GHz synthetic-aperture radar sensor that is intended to be used for cartography, monitoring of naval traffic and disaster monitoring of Asia and the Pacific. JAXA initially hoped to be able to launch the successor to ALOS during 2011, but these plans were delayed until 2014 because of budget restrictions.

See also

References
  1. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  2. "ALOS 2 Satellite details 2014-029A NORAD 39766". N2YO. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  3. "Japanese craft launched with night-vision mapping radar". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved: 31 May 2014.
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