ALOS 1

Satellite characteristics

Launch Date - End 23 January 2006 - 11 May 2011

Status Decommissioned

Orbit type Sun-synchronous near-recursive circular orbit

Altitude 691.65

Orbit inclination 98.16

Equatorial crossing time 10:30:00

Orbit period 98.51

Satellite family: ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite)

ALOS (nicknamed "Daichi") is a Japanese Earth-observation satellite, developed by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tokyo; formerly NASDA), and manufactured by NEC, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi Electric Corp.
Particular application features of the ALOS mission are:
  • The mapping of land areas (without the need for ground control points) for cartographic applications
  • The monitoring of disasters on a global scale (as a complement to the capabilities of other spacecraft)
  • Resource surveying

    • Sensor characteristics

    Sensor name AVNIR-2 (Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer-2)
    Sensor short description
    Sensor type Imaging radiometer (Vis/IR)
    Resolution class High (5 - 30 m)
    Swath width (at nadir) 70 km
    Max look angle 44 °
    Sensor name PALSAR (Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar)
    Sensor short description
    Sensor type Imaging microwave radar
    Resolution class High (5 - 30 m)
    Swath width (at nadir) 70 km
    Max look angle 60 °
    Sensor name PRISM (Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping)
    Sensor short description
    Sensor type Imaging radiometer (Vis/IR)
    Resolution class Very High (1 - 5 m)
    Swath width (at nadir) 35 km
    Max look angle 24 °