Daichi 1 (ALOS 1)

Launch data: Designation  28931 / 06002A Launch date  24 Jan 2006 - 01:33 UT Launch site  Tanegashima Space Center Launch vehicle  H-2A (2022) Mission  Government: Earth observation / Imaging LEO Earth orbit (Sun-sync.) on 11 Feb: Perigee / Apogee  698 x 701 km Eccentricity  2.12E-04 Inclination  98.22° Period  98.76 min

Spacecraft data: Prime contractor  Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Operator  Earth Observation Research and Application Center Platform   Mass at launch  3850 kg (4000 kg?) Dry Mass   kg Basic shape   Dimension (m)   Solar array   Stabilization   Power  7000 W Equipment  PALSAR, PRISM, AVNIR-2 Design lifetime  3-5 yrs Schematic illustration of the ALOS spacecraft. - Credit: JAXA

ALOS-MTM test - Credit: JAXA

Decay:

Description:

ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite) 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 with 2.5 meter resolution,
• the Advanced Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer type 2 (AVNIR-2) for precise land coverage observationwith 10 meter resolution, and
• the Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) for day-and-night and all-wheather land observation.

Five minutes after spacecraft separation, ALOS began to unfurl its 72-foot solar array that will provide electrical power to the craft throughout its mission. Six cameras are on-board to visually verify the correct deployment of the solar panel and various instrument antennas.

Mission details:

• Japan's Advanced Land Observing Satellite, ALOS (Riku iki kansoku gijutsu eisei) was launched on Jan 23 by an H2A from Tanegashima into a 697 x 697 km x 98 deg orbit and named "Daichi" (Land). Daichi carries an L-band synthetic aperture radar, an optical 2.5-meter resolution mapping camera, and a 10-meter resolution visible/near-infrared radiometer. JAXA (the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) manages the satellite and was apparently also the effective prime contractor, with Mitsubishi, NEC and Toshiba as subcontractors.
• The flight 8 H2A launch used a 2022 configuration with two SRB-A large strapons, 2 SSB Castor IVL smaller strapons, and a type 5S large fairing. The rocket launched southbound from Tanegashima and the second stage made a single burn to reach orbit. The H2A launch vehicle is operated and marketed by Rocket Systems Corp. (Kabushikigaisha Roketto Shisutemu) with actual launch activities carried out by JAXA (Ucyu Koukou Kenkyu Kaihatsu Kikou).
• Daichi is in a 697 x 700 km x 98.2 deg orbit; the second stage made a depletion burn which lowered it to a 548 x 699 km orbit.

External links:

• EOportal.org Satellite description
• Satellite tracking (n2ya.com): Real time satellite tracking