GOSAT-GW (Ibuki GW)

The mission

GOSAT-GW (Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite Greenhouse gases and Water cycle), also known as Ibuki GW and formerly known as GOSAT 3, is JAXA's next generation satellite to monitor the greenhosue gases like carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. It is the follow on to the GOSAT 2 (Ibuki 2) and GCOM-W (Shizuku) missions. GOSAT-GW will have two missions: greenhouse gases observation for Japan's Ministry of the Environment and the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), and water-cycle observation for JAXA. By developing the GOSAT-GW satellite, Mitsubishi Electric will contribute to measures for preventing disasters attributed to global warming and climate change, and to advance scientific and technological methods that enable more accurate prediction of climate change. In December 2013, Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO) was selected as the prime contractor for the spacecraft and the instruments.

Type

Earth science

Destination

Sun-synchronous orbit

The rocket

H-IIA (H2A) is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch Akatsuki, which studied the planet Venus. Launches occur at the Tanegashima Space Center.

Height

53 m

Built by

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

First flew

August 29, 2001

Lifts to low Earth orbit

10,000 kg

View 5 specifications Show less

Lifts to geostationary transfer

4,100 kg

Diameter

4 m

Mass at liftoff

285 t

Thrust at liftoff

2,260 kN

Stages

2

35 flights, 35 of them successful.

Wikipedia →

The operator

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is Japan's national aero-space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and the launch of satellites into orbit, and is involved in many more advanced missions, such as asteroid exploration and possible manned exploration of the Moon. JAXA launch their Epsilon vehicle from the Uchinoura Space Center and their H-II vehicles from the Tanegashima Space Center.

Sector

Government

Based in

Japan

Founded

2003

Run by

Hiroshi Yamakawa, Administrator

37 launches so far, 33 of them successful. The last 2 in a row went to plan.

jaxa.jp → Wikipedia →

The launch site

It went up from Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-1 at Tanegashima Space Center, Japan.

See the pad on a map →