ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite)
ALOS Satellite Sensor (2.5m)
ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite) has been decommissioned. ALOS was successfully launched on January 24, 2006 from the Tanegashima Space Center.
ALOS Satellite Sensor (2.5m)
(Image Copyright © JAXA)
The ALOS (renamed "Daichi") satellite sensor had three remote-sensing instruments: the Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping (PRISM) and for digital elevation models (DEMs). 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-weather land observation.
In April 2011, the satellite was found to have switched itself into power-saving mode due to deterioration of its solar arrays. Technicians could no longer confirm that any power was being generated. It was suggested that metiorides may have struck ALOS, creating the anomaly which eventually led to its shutdown.
On 12 May 2011, JAXA sent a command to the satellite to power down its batteries and declared it dead in orbit.
The ALOS AVNIR-2 and PRISM Imagery and PALSAR data is available from the exiting archives.
ALOS Satellite Sensor Specifications
Resolution 2.5m panchromatic
10m multispectral
Launch Vehicle H-IIA Rocket
Launch Site Tanegashima Space Center
Satellite Weight Approximately 4,000kg (at Lift-off)
Power Approximately 7,000W (End of Life)
Designed Life 3 to 5 years
Orbit Sun Synchronous Sub-Recurrent Orbit
Recurrent Period: 46 days
Sub cycle: 2 days
Altitude: Approximately 692km (above the equator)
Inclination: Approximately 98.2 degrees
AVNIR-2
Band Wavelength Region (µm) Resolution (m)
1 0.42-0.50 (blue) 10
2 0.52-0.60 (green) 10
3 0.61-0.69 (red) 10
4 0.76-0.89 (near-IR) 10
PALSAR
Band Frequency (GHz) Resolution (m)
SAR-L 1.3 10 and 100
PRISM
Band Wavelength Region (µm) Resolution (m)
PAN 0.52-0.77 2.5