GCOM-C (Shikisai)

Launch data: Designation  43065 / 17082A Launch date  23 Dec 2017 - 01:26 UT Launch site  Tanegashima, YLP-1 Launch vehicle  H2A-202 Mission  Earth Obsevation, Imaging Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  790 x 793 km Eccentricity   Inclination  98.7° Period   min

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• The GCOM-C (Global Change Observation Mission - Carbon cycle) aims to contribute to surface and atmospheric measurements related to the carbon cycle and the radiation budget. The payload consists of a second-generation GLI (SGLI) instrument.
• SGLI (Second Generation Global Imager). SGLI is an advanced multi-purpose visible/infrared (VNIR) imager of GLI heritage, flown on ADEOS-II. The objective is to measure ocean color, land use and vegetation, snow and ice, clouds, aerosols and water vapor, etc.
  • The largest target of SGLI is to retrieve global aerosol distributions. To achieve this target, SGLI will have 2 polarization channels with 3 directions
  • SGLI is mainly focused to land and coastal areas. There are 11 channels with an IFOV of 250 m. GLI on ADEOS-II had only 6 channels of 250 m resolution.
  • SGLI is a pushbroom instrument providing 29 channels in the VNIR (Visible Near Infrared) spectral region. In addition, there are 6 channels in the SWIR (Shortwave Infrared) and TIR (Thermal Infrared) regions being served by a whiskbroom scanner (mechanical method).

External links:

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