The Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2) is follow-on mission from the DAICHI (ALOS), which contributed to cartography, regional observation, disaster monitoring, and resource surveys. ALOS-2 will succeed this mission with enhanced capabilities.
Specifically, JAXA is conducting research and development activities to improve wide and high-resolution observation technologies developed for DAICHI in order to further fulfill social needs.
These social needs include:
1) Disaster monitoring of damage areas, both in cosiderable detail, and when these areas may be large
2) Continuous updating of data archives related to national land and infrastructure information
3) Effective monitoring of cultivated areas
4) Global monitoring of tropical rain forests to identify carbon sinks.
The state-of-the-art L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR-2) aboard ALOS-2, which is an active microwave radar using the 1.2GHz frequency range, will, in responding to society’s needs, have enhanced performance compared to DAICHI/PALSAR. The PALSAR-2 is capable of observing day and night, and in all weather conditions.
The observation frequency of ALOS-2 will be improved by greatly expanding the observable range of the satellite up to about 3 times, througe an improvement in obserble areas (from 870km to 2,320km), as well as giving ALOS-2 a right-and-left looking function, currently not available on DAICHI/PALSAR.
For more information: http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/alos2/index_e.html
| Orbit Type | Sun-Synchronous sub-recurrent orbit |
| Altitude | 628km. |
| Revisit Time | 14 days |
| Design Life | 5 Years (Target:7 years) |
| Mass | Approx. 2t. |
The observation frequency of ALOS-2 will be improved by greatly expanding the observable range of the satellite up to about 3 times, through an improvement in observable areas （from 870km to 2,320km）, as well as giving ALOS-2 a right-and-left looking function, not available on ALOS/PALSAR.
IMAGING MODES:
|
Imaging Modes |
Resolution |
Swath Width |
|
|
SpotLight |
1m (Azimuth) X 3 m (Range) |
25 x 25 km |
|
|
StripMap |
Ultra-Fine |
3 m |
50 km |
|
High-Sensitive |
6 m |
50 km |
|
|
Fine |
10 m |
70 km |
|
|
ScanSAR |
100 m |
350 km |
|
|
60 m |
490 km |
||
| Mode | Resolution (m.) | Swath (km.) |
| Spotlight | 1-3 | 25 |
| Stripmap | 3-10 | 50 or 70 |
| Scan SAR | 100 | 350 or 490 |
Main Mission of ALOS-2
1) Land management and forest monitoring
2)Resource management and map generation
3)Resource exploration
4)Disaster monitoring
