GCOM/AMSR2 status

1. GCOM/AMSR2 status Earth Observation Research Center and GCOM Project Team Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency AMSR-E Joint Science Team Meeting Huntsville, USA June 2, 2010

2. Main characteristics of GCOM 1st Generation • 2 medium-sized satellite: GCOM-W and -C. • 3 consecutive generations with 1 year overlaps for assuring long-term inter-calibrated data records. GCOM-W1 (Water) GCOM-C1 (Climate) GCOM-W1 is planned to be injected into A-Train orbit. So the orbit of GCOM-W1 will be same as Aqua orbit.

3. GCOM-W1 position in A-Train • The MLTAN of GCOM-W1 orbit is between (Aqua - 259.5 sec) and (Aqua – 79.5 sec). GCOM-W1 is planned to be injected into ahead of Aqua.

4. AMSR2 Instrument • AMSR2 has deployable main reflector system with 2.0m diameter. • Frequency channel set is identical to that of AMSR-E except 7.3GHz channel for RFI mitigation. • AMSR2 has two-point external calibration with the improved HTS (hot-load). • Deep space calibration maneuver to check consistency between main reflector and CSM. • AMSR2 is added a redundant momentum wheel to increase reliability. Deployed Stowed

5. GCOM-W1 and C1 development Schedule GCOM-W1 Project start GCOM-C1 Project start GCOM-W1 Launch GCOM-C1 Launch (TBD) SDR PDR CDR Phase-A Phase-B Phase-C Phase-D SDR PDR CDR Phase-A Phase-B Phase-C Phase-D (*) Japanese Fiscal Year starts in April and ends in March. Present The system CDR of GCOM-W1 was over last year. GCOM-W1 is scheduled for launch in November of next year.

6. GCOM-W Program Status • GCOM-W1 • The system CDR of GCOM-W1 was over in October, 2009. • AMSR2 flight model has been integrated and will be tested until this summer. • The tests of the bus system flight components have been performed. • The satellite system test will start in summer this year. • GCOM-W2 • The study of AMSR2 improvement for GCOM-W2 has been performed. • AMSR2 is planned to add 160GHz and/or 183GHz channels. • The feasibility study of US provided Dual-Frequency Scatterometer installation on GCOM-W2 has been performed. GCOM-W1 STM

7. GCOM operational concept JAXA GN S-band X-band • Svalbard • Global observation data • S-band telemetry GCOM-W1, C1 ・Command Data Rate： 4kbps ・Telemetry Data Rate：29.4kbps GCOM-W1 ・Data rate： 10Mbps GCOM-C1 ・Data rate： 138Mbps GCOM-W1 GCOM-C1 S-band (Command & Telemetry) S-band (Telemetry, Command in emergency ) X-band X-band X-band Domestic JAXA ground stations (Katsuura , Tsukuba & Hatoyama) - Real time observation data over Japanese Islands Ground stations of other organizations in the world - Real time observation data Operational organizations Data Distribution Tsukuba Space Center in JAXA Data processing system - L1 global observation product (+2.5H after observation time for GCOM-W1) - L1 product of Japanese islands (+0.5H after observation time for GCOM-W1) Satellite Control center GCOM Website Researchers Data rate of GCOM-W1 is 10 Mbps. C1’s data rate is 138 Mbps. Observation data is received by Svalbard, Katsuura, Tsukuba, Hatoyama and so on. Received data is processed in Tsukuba Space Center, and is delivered to users.

8. GCOM-W1 Ground system status • The CDR of the satellite house-keeping system (command generation and telemetry processing) and the observation data processing system were over in December, 2009. These ground systems are under manufacturing. • The GCOM website for providing observation products has been manufactured from April, 2010. • The L2 process software has been developed with PI’s. • The test of total ground system will be performed in autumn this year.

9. Access to GCOM data • JAXA provides GCOM standard products via JAXA online system (GCOM website), together with AMSR and AMSR-E products. • To R&D or operational organizations under the cooperative agreement with JAXA, GCOM products are provided after the satellite commissioning (launch + 3 months) for CAL/VAL. • To public researchers, GCOM products are provided via GCOM website after CAL/VAL phase (launch + about 1 year).

10. Schedule of Research Project • Schedule and milestones are subject to change depending on the progress of the project. • More detailed(and correct) schedule will be presented for algorithm implementation, research processing/analysis system, etc. Present Criteria #1 Issue RA#1 (W1) Issue RA#3 (W1) W1 Launch C1 Launch V.1 TB V.1 GEO V.2 RA #1 (W1) RA #3 (W1) RA #5 (W1) Development Optimization/Improvement Algorithm selection (standard products) Standard product Prototyping Implementation Testing/Optimization Candidates of research product Candidates of research product Research product Testing/Implementation, as needed Preparation (sites, tools, methodologies) Initial Operational Research using current dataset AMSR2 data utilization * Japanese Fiscal Year starts in April and ends in March. Six months after launch, the version 1 of level 1 products are scheduled for release. And for another six months, the version 1 of the geophysical products is released. The version 2 products are scheduled for release two years after launch.

11. AMSR2 Product Definition • L1A product • Process radiometric and geometric corrections to Level 0 product • Stores additional information (conversion coefficient of antenna temperature, etc.) • L1B product • Same as Level 1A product but observation count is converted to Tb using radiometric correction coefficients. • L1R product • Resample Level 1B product considering differences of resolution in each frequency. Correction of effect by altitude difference is also done. • Tb resampled to 6GHz, 10GHz, 23GHz, and 36GHz footprint, and original 89GHz are stored. • L2 product • Geophysical parameters retrieved from Level 1B and/or 1R products. • L3 product • Statistically merged product in daily or monthly basis calculated from Level 1B and 2 products. • Global equal Latitude/Longitude grid in 0.25-degree (Low res.) and 0.1-degree (High res.), and polar stereo grid for Northern and Southern Hemisphere in 25-km (Low res.) and 10-km (High res.). • Statistical information is also included in monthly products. We have defined a new level 1R product. This product is generated by resampling Level 1B product considering the differences of resolution in each frequency and the effect by altitude difference. Tb resampled to 6, 10, 23 and 36GHz footprint, and original 89GHz are stored. Other products are about the same definition as AMSR and AMSR-E. The high resolution product of Level 3 is also generated.

12. GCOM 3rd RA (under discussion) • Current planWe plan to announce the 3rd RA in this summer. • Beginning of August, 2010: 3rd RA issued • End of October, 2010: Proposal Due Date • February, 2011: Notification of Selection Results • Research period • Three (3)years from JFY 2011. • Research topicsWe are soliciting proposals contributing to these areas. • Algorithm Development • Improve and implement standard algorithms. • Should meet the success criteria (product accuracy). • Validation • Prepare and maintain validation sites/methodologies. • Conduct product validation of actual AMSR2 data. • Application Research • Researches leading to social benefits: environmental change monitoring, improvement of future prediction, new operational applications, etc. • New research products and their algorithms. • Research on synergistic use of GCOM-W and GCOM-C